The Beginning of Bella and Edward
by Scuzzfuzz
Summary: Bella Swan and Alice Cullen are friends from college. Bella has met Alice's brother once and he was a jerk. What makes her change her mind? This is just the beginning. There will be a sequel. AU/AH, canon pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I do not own Twilight (how I wish I did) or any of these characters...they just play games in my mind.

This is my first shot at a FanFic - rated M for lemons later. I have another 5 chapters almost ready to go, just want to see what the reaction is first. Please review!

**The Beginning of Bella and Edward**

Chapter 1

"Ugh," I groaned as I rolled over searching for my alarm. I finally found the snooze button and hit it harder than necessary, sending my clock radio crashing to the floor. Cursing under my breath, I sat up with the plan of retrieving it from the floor – my spinning head put an end to that idea. "Damn you Alice!" I yelled, knowing full well that my roommate would be feeling just as bad as I was, if not worse.

I left the clock where it was and stumbled down the hall to the bathroom. I turned on the hot water in the shower and cleaned my teeth while I was waiting for the water to heat up. _Another Monday morning with a hangover_, I thought to myself. One day I'd learn to say no to Alice, but last night it was just easier to go along with her plan to have "a few quiet drinks" before we went back to work.

After the shower eased some of the knots, I quickly dressed for work and yanked my long brown hair up into a ponytail. Alice still hadn't stirred and it was only just after 7 so I left her to sleep while I got the coffee going. I thought about toast, and then cereal, but my stomach turned at the thought of both so I decided to just go with the coffee – I could always grab something at work. My stomach lurched again at the thought of the food in the hospital cafeteria – if you could call it that.

After a cup of coffee I brushed my teeth again and knocked on Alice's door. "Go away!" she groaned from the other side.

"Can't do that Al – are you two decent?" I asked. There's nothing worse than seeing your two best friends naked in bed together – something that had become an almost weekly occurrence for me since Alice started dating my best friend from high school, Jasper. Getting no answer from either of them, I slowly counted to ten in my head and opened the door.

"I told you to go away!" she whined at me.

"Morning Bella," Jasper mumbled.

"Morning Jazz," I replied. "Come on Al, you gotta get up or you'll be late for work, and we all know how much of a bitch Victoria can be on a Monday," I finished, referring to Alice's boss at Victoria's Secret.

"Can you give me a lift?" she asked. I looked at my watch – it was 7:15 and I had to be at the hospital by 8.

"You've got 20 minutes or I'm going without you," I told her as I headed back to the kitchen.

I heard the shower start a few minutes later and Jasper joined me for coffee. _Who would have thought that all these years after high school we'd be working at the same hospital?_ I thought to myself as I looked at the bags under his eyes. "What?" he asked grumpily.

"Nothing," I replied. "Just thinking how lucky you are to be working nights this week!" Jasper and I both worked in the trauma centre at Seattle's most central hospital. This week I was on days after 10 days of the graveyard shift – nothing like working from 8 at night till 6 in the morning to ruin your social life – not that I really had one of those. I was broken out of my reverie by Alice stomping into the kitchen, looking stunning as usual. "That's so not fair!" I said to her. "You drank as much as I did last night, you're smaller than me so it should affect you more, yet you look perfect as usual and I look like…_this_," I said, scrunching up my face as I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt. Nothing like a compliment to make Alice feel better.

"Aw Bells, it's ok," she said with a smile as she filled a travel mug with coffee. "You'll change into your scrubs when you get to work and then you won't have to worry – you always look great in those!"

Jasper chuckled and joined in, "Doctor Newton certainly thinks so anyway! The amount of drool that man leaves in his wake when he's looking at you…" Jasper trailed off at the sight of my face.

"If looks could kill, you'd be in the morgue right now Whitlock," I told him, "'Cause this trauma doctor sure as hell wouldn't save you! Come on Alice, I'm going to be late," I said as I headed for the door.

Alice joined me in my car a few minutes later, and we drove in silence until we hit the outskirts of the city proper. "Umm Bella…" she started. _Uh oh_, I thought. It was always bad when Alice started with umm. "Yes, Alice?" I asked, my tone making it quite clear I was dreading what was to come.

"Well, you know my brother Edward?" she asked. I groaned out loud.

I'd met Alice's family the first summer of college – Alice and I had ended up as roommates and she had invited me to spend the summer with them, knowing I had no family of my own to go home to. I'd agreed to go along and I'd had a ball. Her parents, Carlisle and Esme, made me feel like one of the family, and her middle brother Emmett and his fiancée Rosalie had become two of my closest friends. Carlisle announced at dinner on the last Friday of the summer that Edward would be joining us for the Saturday and Sunday before he headed back to Chicago to take up his new partnership at Yorkie and Cheney. Well, Yorkie, Cheney and Cullen. I'd heard lots from Alice about how wonderful her eldest brother was and I had no reason to disbelieve her. Not only was he a lawyer but he'd spent the last two years working pro bono cases for anyone who approached the office. When Edward arrived on the Saturday morning, I was stunned. He was without a doubt the most gorgeous man I'd ever laid eyes on. Over six feet tall, with messy bronze hair that looked like he just got out of bed, deep emerald green eyes and a killer crooked smile – the man made me stop in my tracks. Until he opened his mouth…

"So, you're Alice's latest charity project?" he asked me after Alice introduced me. His breath smelled of bourbon so I passed his rudeness off as drunkenness. "Edward!" Alice exclaimed. "Don't be rude! Bella is _not_ a charity case! She's my friend, she's worked hard this year and I thought she deserved a break." He gave me a slow once-over, winked, and sauntered away. That was more or less all of the contact I had with "Mr Wonderful" for the rest of the weekend – not exactly what he'd been cracked up to be!

"Hello? Earth to Bella!" I heard Alice teasing me. I realised I was in my spot at the hospital already, with no recollection of driving there.

"Oh Alice, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. "I totally zoned out there and didn't drop you off!"

"It's ok Bella – I can walk from here," she reassured me. "So, about Edward…" she started again. "He's coming to Seattle this weekend because he has a job interview on Monday – I was hoping it would be ok for him to sleep on our couch?" My mind went into overdrive. Edward, the cocky lawyer who thought I was a charity project the one time I'd met him, was coming to Seattle for a job interview? "Alice," I began, "exactly where is Edward applying for a job?"

She at least had the good grace to blush. "Umm…here?" she replied.

"_Where_ here Alice?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"At the hospital?" she squeaked.

"Argh!" I yelled, banging my head on the steering wheel. I'd met the guy a grand total of once and he'd been an arrogant pig the whole time, and now he was applying for a job in _my_ hospital? I got out of the car and slammed the door, kicked the front tyre and started towards the hospital entrance.

"I'm sorry Bella!" Alice cried. "I meant to tell you last night but I got…distracted…" She trailed off with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Yeah, distracted by a bottle of red wine," I shot back, unable to stop myself from grinning back.

"So Edward can stay?" she asked.

_Here we go again, I can't say no to her_, I thought. "Ok, he can stay," I said over her squeals. "But if he sets one toe out of line, he's out on his ass."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Beginning of Bella and Edward**

Chapter 2

_Saturday morning_

"Bella?" I heard Alice call from the other side of my door.

"Hmmphhh…" I grunted back. I'd worked from 8am till 6pm Monday to Thursday, then pulled a double shift to cover for Jasper on Friday, starting at 8am and finishing at 6 Saturday morning. I was in no mood for Alice, her brother, or anyone else. I had 4 days off now and was planning on sleeping away most of it. Obviously, Alice had other ideas. I heard her open my bedroom door and the next thing I knew, the blinds were opened and my room was full of sunlight. "Ugh," I moaned, burying my head in my pillow.

"Uh uh uh, none of that missy!" she scolded. "It's 11am on a glorious Saturday, and Jazz has breakfast in the kitchen for you to thank you for covering his shift last night. And Edward will be here soon too…" she trailed off. I rolled over and gave her a dirty look, then got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, I was showered and dressed and eating bacon and eggs in the kitchen. "As good as this is Jasper, you owe me a shift," I told him around a mouthful of eggs. He smiled at me and was about to reply when there was a knock at the door. We rolled our eyes as Alice squealed from the living room. I heard the door open and the squeal got louder. It was joined by possibly the most wonderful laugh I'd ever heard. The door closed and I heard two sets of footsteps crossing the wooden floors to our kitchen. I looked to the doorway and my hand froze halfway to my mouth with a piece of bacon hanging off my fork. _He's even better than I remember…_I thought. Dressed in jeans, a white button-down shirt with the top three buttons undone and a pair of black Docs, Edward leaned in the doorway with a smile playing on his lips. "Hello Bella," he said as it turned into a full blown grin. _Wow – hang on, not wow! This guy is a jerk!_ I told myself.

"Hello Edward," I replied, turning back to my breakfast.

"And you must be Jasper," I heard him say, his footsteps drawing closer as he approached the table where Jasper and I were sitting. I breathed in as he passed me and I almost fell off my chair. Not only was he the best looking man I'd ever laid eyes on, he _smelled_ good too. Not that expensive-cologne smell, just a clean, fresh, _man_ smell. I didn't wait to hear Jasper's response, I threw my chair back and bolted from the kitchen to my bedroom.

I spent the better part of the afternoon holed up in my room, alternating between napping and trying to read while I listened to that glorious laugh drift down the hallway to my bedroom. Around 6 there was a gentle knock on my door and Alice poked her head in. "Bella?" she asked, almost timidly.

"It's ok Alice, I'm still alive," I joked, smiling to let her know I was ok. She gently closed the door behind her and perched on the end of my bed. "I'm sorry Alice," I apologised before she could say anything. "I've been so rude and I don't even really know why. I've only met Edward once and I'm acting as badly as he did then…" I would have continued rambling but Alice cut me off.

"It's ok Bella," she smiled at me, "I understand. I talked Edward up to be this wonderful guy and he treated you like dirt. If he wasn't my brother, I'd be pissed at him too." I should have known when her blue eyes started to twinkle that I was about to get roped into something, but I was so relieved that she wasn't mad at me that I missed it.

"How about I grow a spine and I come and cook dinner?" I offered.

"Ooh!" she squealed, clapping her hands together and bouncing on the end of my bed where she perched like the pixie she is. "That sounds great! And since you've decided you're going to be sociable, you can come out with us tonight now too!" Before I could respond, she was out the door and calling out to Jasper and Edward, "Boys! Bella is going to come out with us! _And_ she's making dinner too!" I couldn't help but laugh at her as I walked out of my room and down the hall.

I bypassed the living room and went into the kitchen via the dining room, surprised to find Edward sitting at the kitchen table going through a sheaf of papers, listening to his iPod. I stopped and looked at him, not quite as taken aback by his good looks as before, seeing him more as a normal person. If normal people looked like Greek gods, anyway. He sensed my presence and looked up, smiling as he removed his ear buds. "Hello again," he said. I took a deep breath and drew out the chair opposite him.

"Edward, I owe you an apology," I started, looking into his eyes. _Breathe Bella_, I reminded myself as I felt myself drowning in their beautiful green depths.

"No Bella, I owe _you _an apology for the way I treated you that summer," he replied. "I know it's not really an excuse but my girlfriend dumped me just as I was getting on the plane to come home. To take my mind of it, I got wasted on the plane and took it out on the first person who wouldn't hit me for it. I didn't speak to you for the rest of that weekend because I was so ashamed of my behaviour." I sat there, absolutely gobsmacked. This incredibly gorgeous man was apologising to me? I felt myself blushing under his gaze.

"I guess we're even then, huh?" I said, trying to keep my tone light.

"I guess so," he replied. "Friends?" he asked, extending his hand across the table.

"Friends," I smiled as I shook his hand

"So what's for dinner?" he asked. I had no idea what we had in the fridge or the cupboard.

"Hmm…how about chicken cacciatore and rice?" I asked as I pulled the frozen chicken from the freezer.

"Sounds good. Is there anything I can help with?" he asked, rising from the table and coming to stand beside me while I rummaged through the pantry for the jar of simmer sauce I was sure was there.

"You could set the table," I suggested as I put the chicken in the microwave to thaw and put the rice on to boil.

"Done," he said with a smile, "but I'll need you to direct me around your kitchen!"

I gave directions while I cooked, Edward set the table for the four of us and we were ready to eat in no time. "Dinner!" I called to Alice and Jasper. They came in and sat opposite each other, leaving the other two facing seats for Edward and me. We joined them at the table and I waited until everyone else had tried the food before I started eating too.

"Mmm Bells – this is great!" Jasper praised round a mouthful of chicken and rice. "Jasper! Don't talk with your mouth full!" Alice admonished. We all laughed at that and finished our dinner like four friends who had known each other forever.

Once all of our plates were cleared, Alice stood up and declared, "Ok. You men-folk are going to clean this up while Bella and I go and make ourselves gorgeous for tonight." She turned and gave Jasper a pointed look as Edward started clearing the table.

"But you're already gorgeous!" Jasper said to her. I giggled and headed for my bedroom with Alice hot on my heels.

"Oh no you don't!" she said as she grabbed the back of my shirt. "You're getting ready in my room, in a knock-em' dead outfit. My dear brother is not going to be able to contain himself when he sees you tonight Bella!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I don't own these characters, just the slightly warped plot that's working itself out in my head.

Thanks for the reviews – they keep me going! Sorry the last chapter was a bit short…hopefully this one keeps you happy! And since it's the weekend, chapter 4 might make an appearance tomorrow…

Chapter 3

An hour later Alice and I emerged from her room. I had to hand it to her, I looked _good_. She'd dressed me in a midnight blue halter top, black pants that hugged my ass, and boots with a small heel. Alice had insisted on bigger heels but I held firm – if we were going dancing, I needed to be able to stand up, and we both knew from experience that big heels were _not_ conducive to that where I was concerned. My long hair was curled and out, and thankfully Alice had kept my makeup simple – just a little mascara, and some lip gloss.

We walked down the hall together and found Jasper and Edward sitting on the couch. Jasper had changed before dinner, and Edward must have freshened up in the bathroom while Alice had me squirreled away in her room. There was no other word for it – he looked _hot_. He was wearing a charcoal grey long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to display his smooth, muscled forearms with a pair of dark low-slung jeans and the same Docs he'd been wearing earlier. I couldn't help smiling in return to the smile that spread across his face as I walked into the room. As much as I wasn't interested in him – or so I kept telling myself – it was nice to be getting a look like that from someone other than Doctor Newton. The fact that Edward was to die for made the ego boost that little bit bigger too – something else that didn't hurt.

"Wow!" Jasper exclaimed. "You girls look great!"

"Thanks – all in a day's work, Alice replied, stretching on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek. Next thing there was a pounding on the door and Alice ran to open it, revealing a grinning Emmett and Rosalie on the other side. Emmett picked up his younger sister and spun her around on his way through the door. Emmett is a teddy bear of a man – tall, broad and muscular, with dark curly hair and a little boy face. He's not someone you'd ever want to cross, but he's a real softy once you get to know him.

Rosalie followed the spinning Emmett into the apartment and closed the door behind her, coming over to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi Bella!" she said. "Long time no see!"

Emmett put Alice down and came over to give me a hug. "Bella!" he boomed.

"Emmett! Can't…breathe!" I gasped as he squeezed the air from my lungs.

"Oops!" he said as he put me down. He then turned to his elder brother. "Edward," he said, almost cordially. "Are you still being a git to Bella or did you decide to man up and apologise?"

I was about to defend Edward (who would've thought it?) but he walked up to Emmett and announced, "I decided to man up Emmett – I've apologised to Bella and she's decided we can be friends." He turned and gave me a smile and a wink.

"Ok, enough with the formalities – can we go dancing now?" Rosalie asked the room at large. Jasper picked up the phone to call a cab for the six of us, and in no time we were on our way into the city.

Jasper had the good sense to order a maxi cab for us so we wouldn't be squished. He and Alice were sitting together at the front, Emmett and Rosalie took the two single seats, and that left Edward and me to share the remaining seat behind Alice and Jasper. "Did you want the window?" he asked as we climbed in. "Nah, it's ok – I see this every day on my way to work," I replied. As we sat, he stretched his arm along the back of the seat. I didn't think there was anything in it, but the feeling of his body so close to mine sent shivers up my spine anyway.

"Are you cold?" he asked, wrapping his arm around me, which only made me shiver more.

"Yeah, something like that," I mumbled, turning my head away so he wouldn't see me blush. Rosalie didn't miss it though, grinning widely at me when she saw Edward's arm around me.

15 minutes after leaving our apartment, the driver dropped us off outside Blackbill – the newest nightclub in the city. And the line was huge – I thought we'd be waiting for hours.

"Aw man!" Alice exclaimed when she saw the line. "We're never going to get in!"

Rose just chuckled and shook her head. "Come with me folks, no line for us!" she said. Emmett just grinned, while the rest of us looked perplexed as we followed her up to the bouncer at the front of the line. I couldn't hear what she said to him, just watched as she put her hand on his arm, smiled, and indicated the 5 of us standing behind her. The guy smiled back and lifted the rope, ushering us through in front of the crowd.

"Wow Rose!" I said to her as we walked into the foyer. "How did you do that?"

She smiled at me and replied, "Honey, sometimes being an underwear model gets you more that just free lingerie!" I grinned at her response as it hit me – Rose had recently landed a job with Alice at Victoria's Secret, not in the design team but as a full-time promotional model. With long blonde hair and a body any woman would sell their soul for, it wasn't surprising that she was one of the most well-known women in Seattle at the moment.

We descended the stairs into the club itself and were assaulted with a pumping beat. "Let's dance!" I heard Alice yell over the music. We moved as a group through the tables to the dance floor, Emmett in the lead to get us through the crowd more easily. He pushed his way to the middle of the floor and immediately grabbed Rosalie around the waist, pulling her securely against him.

"Get a room, you two!" Jasper teased as he and Alice started moving to the music.

"May I have this dance?" Edward asked me with a grin, leaning in close to my ear so I could hear him over the noise. I didn't bother answering, I just started dancing in the hope that I didn't look like a marionette in the wind. I mustn't have been too bad because he started dancing along with me. I looked over at Emmett and Rose, who were completely oblivious to what was going on around them, and Alice and Jasper, who were dancing close but keeping it clean, and then at Edward, thinking how lucky I was to have a group of friends like this. I must have been smiling because Edward moved towards me with a smile on his face and went to slide his arm around my waist. As he did, I felt a sharp pinch on my ass and turned around to see Doctor Mike Newton standing there, leering drunkenly at me – the same Doctor Mike Newton Jasper said drooled after me at work.

"Looking hot, Doctor Swan!" he said to me, moving closer. Before I could react, Edward's arm was around me and he was standing between me and the drunken moron who had the hide to grope me in public.

"I believe the good doctor is spoken for this evening," I heard Edward say, "so why don't you run along?" With that, he turned and steered me towards a table in the corner, the others following behind.

Edward pulled out the chair in the corner for me and sat next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"She will be in a minute!" Jasper replied, setting a tray on the table in front of us. He must have detoured past the bar on the way to the table. The tray held 6 shot glasses holding a clear liquid, a salt shaker, and a dish of lemon wedges.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Thanks for the reviews folks! And sorry I didn't post this yesterday as alluded to – writing stories is much more fun than writing job applications, but unfortunately this doesn't pay as well!

Just in case I don't put the next chapter up tomorrow…Happy Birthday to Edward is my Planet!

Chapter 4

"Uh uh, no way. I'm not doing tequila shooters," Alice said, shaking her head for emphasis.

"What if I let you lick the salt off my neck?" Jasper asked with a wicked grin. "Bottoms up kiddies!"

I grimaced but joined in anyway. I licked the webbing between my thumb and forefinger and shook on the salt, grabbed a lemon wedge and picked up a shot glass.

"One, two, three!" Emmett counted us in and we all licked, sipped and sucked.

"Yech!" I screwed up my face. Edward laughed at me as I placed my shot glass back on the tray. Before anyone could say anything, Emmett was on his feet, heading back to the bar. 5 minutes later he was back with not one but two more rounds of shooters. _Oh man_, I thought. _It's going to be a messy night!_

An hour later I'd lost count of the number of shots we'd done. Alice and Rosalie had progressed to licking the salt from Jasper and Emmett's necks, and I was just about drunk enough to ask Edward if I could do it to him when Alice grabbed Rose and I and announced it was time for a toilet stop. Once there, she turned on me and asked, "So when are you going to suck Edward's neck?"

Rose burst into drunken giggles and announced, "I think Edward is thinking about Bella sucking more than his neck! Have you seen the way he's been looking at her!" I felt myself go bright red at that, although I was flattered as well.

"Um, guys, I'm right here!" I reminded them. "And I'll suck his neck when I'm good and ready Alice!"

As we came out of the bathroom Rose left us to get more drinks and Alice and I headed back to the table. When we were almost there I froze on the spot when I realised who was in my seat next to Edward. Lauren Mallory. _Doctor_ Lauren Mallory, to be exact – the female version of Mike Newton. Even though I had no claim over Edward, the way she was fawning all over him made me feel ill. Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the table, leaning in to say to me, "Bella, you need to take drastic action. Don't let that skank get in my brother's pants!"

We got to the table and she settled herself in Jasper's lap, and I walked around behind Edward and ignoring Lauren I slid my arms around his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his neck.

"Miss me baby?" I purred against his ear, gently biting on his earlobe. His hands moved up to take mine and he swiftly pulled me around his body and into his lap.

"Like you wouldn't believe," he murmured back in my ear.

Lauren reacted like she'd been slapped, jumping up and storming off. I laughed and went to move from Edward's lap but his arms tightened around me.

"And where do you think you're going, now I've got you where I want you?" he growled against my neck.

Rose arrived with the shots and Emmett grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into his lap and licking her neck in one movement. "Ew Emmett!" she yelped.

"Fair's fair babe – you've been licking salt off my neck all night – now it's my turn!"

I looked over to see Jasper lick Alice's neck and then add the salt, and before I could move I felt Edward's tongue slide almost from my shoulder up to the hollow behind my ear. I moaned involuntarily as Emmett cheered from the other side of the table.

"Open up!" Edward said to me, sliding the lemon wedge peel-first between my teeth.

_Well, at least he does things properly_, I thought. I lost all conscious thought next though as Edward slowly dragged his tongue up my neck once again, threw back his shot and then took the lemon from my mouth, letting his lips brush gently up against mine.

"Go Eddie!" Emmett hollered, making me go redder than I already was.

"Girls turn!" I heard Rose call out. I looked over to see her attacking Emmett's neck with gusto, Alice doing the same to Jasper's.

I looked shyly up at Edward from under my eyelashes and asked, "Do you mind?" He grinned back and me and tilted his head to the side to give me easier access. I leaned in, took a deep breath and licked his neck. _Wow! Not only does he smell good, he _tastes_ good too_, I thought. And he did – like man and sweat all rolled into one. I doused his neck with salt, stuck the lemon in between his teeth and grabbed my shot. I was fully aware the other four were watching to see how I'd react, so I decided to give them a show. I slowly licked his neck again, making sure I got all the salt, threw back my shot and then leaned in to take the lemon from his teeth. I was almost there when he dropped the lemon and grabbed the back of my head, pulling me in for the most passionate kiss I'd ever had. I didn't hear the catcalls and whistles - I was lost in the softness of his lips and the heat of the kiss. When he let me up for air, I buried my head in his neck to hide my embarrassment.

"Let's dance!" I heard Rose yell from across the table. She grabbed Alice and I by the wrists and dragged us back out to the dance floor.

We'd barely made it back onto the floor when I felt a pair of strong hands grab hold of my waist. _Fucking Newton!_ I thought to myself and whirled around, ready to slap the little punk. Instead of the sleazy doctor though, I found myself looking up into Edward's face.

"Wanna dance?" he asked with a grin, not waiting for an answer as he slid an arm around my waist, pulled me close and started moving. 

_I'm in heaven,_ I thought as our bodies moved as one to the music. I looked over to see Alice and Jasper grinding together, catching Alice's eye and grinning like an idiot.

Suddenly I felt Edward's body stiffen and his arm tightened even more around my waist. I looked up at him to see a look of absolute disgust on his face. I turned and saw Mike Newton standing there, grinning a lecherous smile.

"Wow Bella," he said, his speech more than a little slurred, "if I'd known you moved like _that_ I would've made my move long ago!"

In my drunken state, it took all of my will power not to slap him. But I knew I had to work with him, so instead I smiled brightly at him and said, "Well that's just too bad Mike. You waited and now I'll be going home with someone else." I turned back to Edward and stretched up, kissing him hard and passionately.

In that moment, it was like everyone else disappeared – it was me and him, alone. Then I heard the unmistakable sound of Emmett whistling and was brought back to planet Earth. I moved to pull away but Edward's hand came up to the back of my neck while his other arm stayed firm around my waist. When we finally came up for air, he moved his mouth to my ear and asked, "Wanna blow this place? I hear you have a nice apartment not too far away." He pulled back to look at me and his eyes were smouldering.

_Think Bella,_ my "good" voice said in my head. _This guy was a tool when you first met him, and now you're ready to go home with him?_

_He's hot Bella._ Ah, there was Bad Bella – rarely the right one to listen to.

"I'll just check Alice has her key," I told him, "and then we're outta here!"

I fought my way over to where Alice was firmly locked to Jasper and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"What?" she snapped, turning red when she saw it was me. "Oops! Sorry Bella!"

"Alice, do you have your key to the apartment with you?" I asked in a rush.

"Yeah, why?" she replied with_ that_ twinkle in her eye.

"Well, I'm kind of leaving now and wanted to make sure you could get in…" I trailed off as her grin grew.

"You're going home to knock boots with my brother, aren't you!" she squealed. "I think I'll stay at Jazz's tonight then so you don't get…interrupted. Go! Have fun! And call me in the morning!" she said as she started pushing me back towards Edward.

"Shall we?" I asked with a grin as I reached his side.

"Yes Bella, I believe we shall," he replied, wrapping his arm tightly around my waist.

Once outside, I moved towards the edge of the footpath to hail a cab, and of course there were none to be seen. Edward moved to stand behind me and started trailing kisses down my neck. "Edward!" I admonished, "I'm trying to hail a cab and you're making it very hard to concentrate!"

I felt him smile against my neck as he answered, "Mmm, sorry about that. Perhaps I should stop?"

"Or perhaps not," I shot back, "there's no cabs in sight."

He moved his lips away from my neck and pulled me away from the club. "Well, let's start walking and we'll grab the first one that comes by," he suggested.

"It's a fifteen minute drive from here – there's no way I'm walking that far!" I complained, turning towards him …and the waiting cab he'd just hailed.

He held the door open for me and I slid across the seat to make room for him. I gave the driver my address and we were off. Edward moved across and slid his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. I didn't even think about what I was doing, I just turned my head and started slowly kissing his neck, from the collar of his shirt up to his jaw and back down again. As I started back up his neck again he pulled away and turned to face me.

"Bella," he whispered, "maybe we should wait till we get back to your place…"

"Are you not comfortable me doing this with the driver here?" I whispered back.

He smiled and shook his head, then leaned down and whispered, "No baby, it's not that at all. I'm just worried that if I let you keep going I won't be able to stop myself from taking you right here."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** To all those who have added this story to their alert lists, thank you! I'd really appreciate some feedback from you as to how you think the story is progressing so far!

Well, here we are with Bella and Edward, about to get all lemony. This is my first lemon, so hopefully it's not too cringeworthy!

Chapter 5

The cab dropped us off outside my apartment building and Edward threw some money over the seat, not waiting for change. He slid out and held out his hand to help me up, then we practically ran into the building. I hit the button for the lift and it mercifully _dinged_ almost immediately. Once inside, I hit the button for 9…and then he pounced. He pushed me up against the wall, pinning both of my hands above my head with one of his, and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. He moved his mouth to my ear and growled, "I want you Bella. I want to feel your body move with mine, I want to hear you moan my name, and I want to feel your body under mine as I make you come like no man has ever made you come before."

Well, he got the second part of his wish right then and there. I moaned his name out loud as the lift doors opened on my floor. We stumbled out of the lift and down the hallway, and I fumbled with the lock for what seemed like forever because I couldn't concentrate due to the way the gorgeous man I loathed a few hours ago was touching me. We finally crashed through and I quickly locked the door behind me, dropping my keys and purse onto the hall stand beside the door.

I turned, expecting to find Edward standing behind me, only to find him sitting on the couch taking off his Docs.

"And what, exactly, are you doing all the way over there?" I asked as I moved over to him. He removed his second shoe just as I reached him, so I straddled his lap and started running my fingers through his hair.

"Bella, wait," he said softly. I froze as he looked up at me with a conflicted expression on his face. "I want this…I want _you_…I just don't know if I can do this, knowing my _sister_ is going to be coming through that door at some point tonight. I'm so…"

I cut him off with a soft kiss. "Edward, stop worrying," I murmured as I kissed from his chin up to his temple. "Alice is spending tonight at Jasper's – we have the place to ourselves." I moved off his lap and removed my boots, then stood and extended my hand to him. He smiled at me as he took it, and I led the way to my bedroom.

As we approached the door, I started to panic. I couldn't remember what state my room was in. I'm normally a pretty tidy person, but after so many nights working and days sleeping, I wasn't sure if I'd left dirty laundry lying around, or even if the bed was made. I opened the door and went to flip on the light, but Edward caught my hand and murmured, "The moonlight is better." I'd totally forgotten that my blinds were still open, and he was right – the moonlight was flooding in and the room looked almost magical.

I took one more step so I was in the room and heard him gently close the door. I turned around to face him and he took me gently in his arms and started kissing me softly. I ran my hands over his forearms and let them rest in the crook of both of his elbows for a moment, before moving them the rest of the way up his arms to wrap around his neck. I pulled myself closer to him and was surprised to find how…_hard_ he was already.

"God Bella, you're killing me," he moaned as he broke our kiss, moving me further across the room towards the bed. I threaded the fingers of my right hand in his hair and pulled him down for another kiss, but he moved slightly to my left and started kissing my neck again. His hands left my waist and slid slowly up my back to untie the halter top from around my neck, then his fingers moved slowly over the bare skin on my back to loosen the zipper. He traced lazy circles down my spine as he slid the zip down. I groaned in pleasure at his touch and subconsciously ground my hips into his.

His breath caught in his throat as he pulled back and stared into my eyes – the smouldering look was back and I felt a thrill of expectation spread from the base of my spine all over my body. I slid my hands from his hair and neck and started undoing the buttons on his shirt. Once I was half way down, I leaned in and started placing delicate kisses on the flesh that was exposed. I slowly moved my mouth down as my hands moved lower, then I kissed up the centre of his chest as I undid the last button and moved my hands up to push the shirt off his shoulders. I continued my kisses from one shoulder across to the other, occasionally darting my tongue out to taste him some more, making him hiss out loud at the sensation. His shirt fell soundlessly to the floor, the room silent except for our heavy breathing.

"Bella…" he whispered in my ear, biting my earlobe gently as he started steering us to the end of my bed. He leaned in and captured my lips in a searing kiss, pushing his body into mine, making us collapse on my bed. He caught his weight with one hand so he didn't crush me, while holding my body to his firmly with the other.

My head fell back as his lips starting trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses from the base of my throat to the valley between my breasts. I grabbed two fistfuls of his hair as I moaned out loud when his mouth made contact with my right breast through the thin fabric of my bra. He shifted his position to move us further up the bed and I instinctively ground my hips up into him, grazing his erection in the process, making him groan deep in his chest.

"You're going to fucking kill me," he groaned, looking up at me with those dark, dark green eyes.

"What fun would that be?" I purred back, grinding into him again. Edward crushed me into the mattress then, letting his full weight fall on me. Our half-clothed bodies started moving in sync, eliciting moans from both of us. He took my bottom lip in between his and kissed me hungrily again, sliding his right hand around behind me to unclasp my midnight blue bra…something that would normally stayed hidden in my underwear draw.

"Fuck Bella," he moaned, "you're more fucking perfect than I thought." He slowly kissed his way down the middle of my chest again, before gently taking my left nipple in his mouth. I don't know what you'd call the sound that came from me after that – a cross between a moan and a whimper. It only spurred him on – his hand came up to play with my other breast, gently kneading and teasing.

Somewhere in all the pleasure I was feeling, I found enough control of my body to move my hand down between us and start undoing his jeans. The button was easy enough, but the zip was a whole other story. Between the tequila and the lust, I was struggling to even remember my whole name, let alone figure out how to unzip a pair of jeans belonging to an incredibly hard male while he was grinding his hips into mine.

"Fuck it Edward!" I exclaimed in frustration. "Stop making me feel like that just for one second so I can get your fucking pants off!"

The grinding stopped almost immediately and I managed to get the zip undone. I hooked my thumbs over the waistband and then realised I had absolutely no way to get them off him, unless…

Reading my thoughts, Edward held me to him tightly and rolled us over so I was straddling him. I slowly slid my body down his, keeping as much skin-to skin contact as I could. I slid his jeans down, letting my hands run down his muscular legs and then back up once the offending pants were finally pooled on the floor at the end of my bed. I couldn't help but tease a little, blowing warm air over his erection through the tight black boxer briefs that were the only thing left on him. I wriggled back up his body, making sure to grind into him as much as possible. If I thought his laugh was wonderful, the groans he was emitting were breathtaking – literally. I must have been moving too slowly though, because Edward grabbed hold of my upper arms and pulled me back up to him, kissing me hard before rolling us over again and moving between my legs to remove my pants. He made it seem so much easier than it was for me…but I wasn't really concentrating that much once I felt his strong hands on my bare thighs.

I was concentrating even less when I felt him teasing me in much the same way I had teased him only minutes earlier – by blowing gently through my already wet boy shorts directly onto my hot centre. It took all of my self control not to buck my hips towards him. Instead, I slowly and unsteadily slid myself away from him and into a sitting position. He looked at me, almost crestfallen, until I stood up next to the bed and shed my last scrap of clothing.

"Now," I smirked at him, "what was it that you said you wanted?" He caught on pretty quickly to where I was headed, standing and removing his own underwear. My breath caught in my throat to see him like that…he was _flawless_.

I think I stopped breathing altogether when he pressed himself against me and murmured in my ear, "I want you to be moving with me, I want you to be moaning my name, and I want to feel you as I make you come like no man has ever made you come before."

That was the end of my self control. I ground my hips into him and backed us up towards the bed. I wriggled free of his grasp and slid into the centre of my bed, and having no idea where my confidence came from, lay back, stretched and whispered, "Top drawer…get…_dressed_…and make it quick."

Edward stood there stunned for all of half a second, then moved quickly to my bedside table. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I heard the drawer open, a quick rustling of my crap as he found what he was looking for, and then he was laying over me, supporting himself with one hand while he stroked my face with the other.

"Are you sure, Bella? Are you ready?" he asked. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed the hell out of him, only stopping when he pulled back slightly to whisper, "I take that as a yes," against my lips before slowly sliding himself into me.

I couldn't stop the moan that fell from my lips at the feeling…it was pure bliss. Once he was all the way in he stilled, his head dropping to my shoulder.

"Fuck Bella," he moaned," you're so fucking warm and tight." That only made me moan more.

After what felt like an eternity, he started moving…slowly out, slowly in, slowly building friction until I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. My hips rocked in time with his, occasionally pressing harder as I tried to get him to speed up. Every time I pressed harder, my name would fall from his lips, only encouraging me further.

I moved my mouth close to his ear, and whispered, "Harder Edward…faster. You said you wanted to feel us moving together…let's see how _well_ we move together." I slowly snaked my tongue out and ran it around the shell of his ear...and the reaction was perfect. He drove into me harder then, still slowly building up his pace, but with more definite strokes. Then he shifted slightly, and it was a whole other world.

"Oh God!" I cried out, my legs wrapping themselves around his body, pulling him further into me. "Don't stop! Hell Edward, for the love of all that's…"

My sentence was abruptly stopped by his swollen lips crashing down on mine. I continued to whimper into his mouth, and I could feel the groans rumbling from deep inside his chest. He broke our kiss after what seemed like forever, and his thrusts seemed to reach a new intensity. I moaned his name over and over, not because he'd said it was what he wanted, but his name was the only word in my mind right now. I felt myself getting closer and closer, and opened my eyes to see a look of total desire on his face. "Come for me Bella," he growled at me. "Don't hold back."

And I didn't. His words added that last magic ingredient, and I felt myself lose the last shred of control I had as the most intense orgasm I had ever experienced ripped through my body. I was vaguely aware of Edward groaning into my neck, and with one last thrust I felt a shiver run down his entire body. With one final groan, he let his body relax on top of mine. I slowly ran my fingertips up and down his broad, muscular back until we both had our breathing and heart rates under control.

He slowly moved off me and reached over to grab a couple of tissues, turning his back and discreetly cleaning himself up. I pulled the sheet up and laid back with my eyes closed, feeling slightly self-conscious but also wanting to give him some privacy. After a couple of minutes I felt him slide into the bed next to me, and he reached out to draw me closer to his body. I snuggled into his chest and took a deep breath. There was so much I wanted to say, to ask – but the time just wasn't right.

I felt him gently kiss the top of my head, then he whispered, "Goodnight, beautiful Bella."

I blushed at his words, smiled into his chest, and whispered back, "Goodnight Edward."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! I've just realised that my spelling and the use of certain words might be confusing people since I'm Australian – if I use something out of context or you just don't get what I mean, please let me know!

Happy reading!

Chapter 6

Three things woke me the next morning – my phone buzzing next to the bed, the morning sunrays through the window, and Edward's morning glory poking me in the back. We were tangled up together, me on my right side facing the window, Edward spooning me with his right arm stretched between my neck and the pillow, and his left arm draped lazily over my middle. I stretched out slowly to capture my phone – it was a text from Alice.

_Morning sunshine, get some? Let me know when it's safe to come home! xA_

Trust Alice to get to the point. I quickly sent back;

_Just woke up with your naked brother, come home this afternoon…late. xB_

I gently placed my phone back on the bedside table and was contemplating how to get up without waking Edward when his arm tightened around my waist.

"Morning," he mumbled into my hair.

"Morning," I replied. "Good dreams?" I couldn't resist wiggling backwards just a little bit to tease him.

"Mmm," he groaned, "dreams were good, waking up was better. You're going to be the death of me, Bella Swan."

He slowly started grinding his erection into my back, holding me close with the arm that was around my waist, moving his hand up to gently cup my breast. I couldn't help myself moving with him, and soon we were both moaning softly.

He moved his mouth to breathe in my ear, "Top drawer…I need to get dressed…make it quick," echoing my words from last night.

I moved away from him quickly, returning even faster. "Lay back down the way you were," he commanded softly, so I lay back down on my side. A couple of seconds later his arms slid around me again, the left one heading south this time. I moaned loudly when his gentle fingers made contact with my centre, letting my left leg fall backwards over his, giving myself completely over to his touch.

He teased me for a few minutes before removing his hand, whispering in my ear, "I want to be in your pussy right now Bella, moving gently with you from behind." The only response I could give was a whimper as I reached behind me and started stroking him gently.

"Your yeses just get better and better," he groaned and he moved my hand away and slowly entered me. We rocked back and forth together, gently building up our pace as moans from me and deep, chesty groans from him filled the room. I placed my hand on top of his and laced our fingers together as we reached our peak at the same time, and continued to lay there, holding his hand as we both came back down.

I was starting to drift off again when I felt him gently nuzzling the back of my neck. I giggled softly, a sound very much not me, and I felt his lips turn up in a smile on the side of my neck. "And what, Miss Bella, are you giggling at?" he asked with a smile in his voice.

"Just happy," I replied. My stomach growled loudly then, somewhat spoiling the mood. "And hungry," I added. "Give me 5 minutes for a shower and I'll make something for breakfast?"

"How about I make breakfast while you shower?" he offered. I rolled over to look at him for the first time that morning and he quite literally took my breath away. I had less than two seconds to take in his sparking, happy green eyes before he caught my lips in a sweet, tender kiss.

"Mmm…" I sighed happily when we broke apart.

"OK missy, up and in the shower!" he ordered playfully, sliding out of bed and pulling the covers with him.

"Edward!" I cried as I curled up in a ball facing away from him to hide my nakedness. I chanced a look at him over my shoulder to see him grinning broadly as he pulled on his jeans from last night. I smiled lazily to myself as I watched him cross the room to the door where my bathrobe was hanging.

He lifted it from its hook and threw it across the room so it landed just out of my reach on the end of the bed. I sat up quickly and snatched it up, trying to hide as much of myself from him as I could which seemed to amuse him to no end as he started laughing at me. I stood and tied the belt firmly around my waist before turning to face him. "And what, exactly, are you laughing at?" I demanded. I walked towards him and tripped on some dirty scrubs lying on my floor.

"Oh Bella," he sighed as he reached out and caught me, pulling me into his arms. "Silly, silly Bella. There's nothing for you to hide from me – I saw all of you last night and you were beautiful."

I blushed furiously as I buried my head against his chest, mumbling, "Yeah, in the moonlight with tequila goggles on!"

"Bella, you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, tequila goggles or not. Last night in the moonlight your body looked like it could have been carved from marble. Falling asleep with you in my arms was nothing short of perfect – you were so warm and soft. And then this morning, minus the tequila goggles, you're even more perfect than I thought you were," he murmured into the top of my head.

I blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet at that – no one had ever said words like that to me before. I stayed buried against his perfect chest until I felt some of the heat leaving my face. Then I pulled back slightly and looked up to him, whispering, "Well, tequila goggles or not, you're not too bad yourself." I stretched on my tip toes to place an innocent kiss on his lips, then disengaged myself from his arms and headed for the bathroom.

I locked the door behind me and turned to face myself in the mirror. I looked like…nothing I'd ever looked like before. While my hair was wild it was good wild – I couldn't bring myself to call it sex hair, but it wasn't the usual untamed bird's nest that it was most mornings. My cheeks were flushed and my eyes were surprisingly clear, surprising because of the amount of tequila I'd had the night before. But what got me the most was the stupid grin I was wearing, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to budge. I moved over to the shower and turned on the water, running my brush through my hair while I waited for the water to heat up.

I stepped in and stood there for a minute, letting the warm water flow down my body, relaxing me further. I lathered up my loofah with my favourite shower gel and quickly scrubbed my body clean. I followed that up with my wildberry shampoo and conditioner, revelling in the fresh, fruity smell wafting around me in the shower. Once my hair was clean I turned off the water, wrapped my hair turban-style in one towel and dried myself off with another. I slid my arms back into my bathrobe and gave my hair a quick rub with the towel before twisting it up in a clip on the back of my head to keep it out of the way.

I opened the bathroom door and was immediately hit with the smell of bacon. I dressed quickly in loose jeans and a t-shirt and followed the smell to the kitchen where I found Edward in his jeans…and Alice's pink frilly apron. I covered my mouth to stifle my giggles but one slipped out and he turned quickly on the spot. "What's so funny? Do you really want me to get bacon fat burns Bella?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Nope," I giggled, "but _I_ want to find a camera!"

"You do that and there's no breakfast for you," he threatened, turning away from me just as the toaster _popped_.

Sensing defeat, I sat myself at the table in front of one of two steaming cups of coffee. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward remove the pink apron before he brought breakfast to the table. He placed two heaped plates of bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast and sausage down and then sat across from me with a big grin on his face. "Hangover breakfast," he announced proudly.

I grinned back and reached for the ketchup, dribbling it over my hash browns and sausage before attacking the food with gusto. "Edward, this is fantastic!" I exclaimed around a mouthful of eggs and toast.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it around the rolling food in your mouth!" he teased.

I swallowed quickly and replied, "I _said_ this is fantastic!"

"Well thank you," he answered with a smile, "I aim to please."

That last statement should have been completely harmless, but Edward added a rather suggestive eyebrow wiggle that had me tingling in places that breakfast shouldn't excite. I quickly looked down at my plate and we finished our meal in companionable silence.

When we were done eating we cleaned up, chatting idly as we washed the dishes together. Edward announced he was going to take a shower so I decided to tidy my room and get the laundry organised. I rounded up the five pairs of scrubs from the previous week that were scattered around the floor along with various t-shirts and pyjamas. I was thankful that my underwear had all made it into the hamper for a change instead of landing wherever I took it off. I quickly made the bed and then opened the window. As Alice would say, my room smelt like sex – not that I really minded. I heard the shower stop so I knew I was safe to run the washing machine. I grabbed my hamper and made my way past the bathroom to the laundry, quickly filling the machine and putting the load on.

Edward came out of the bathroom just as I passed the door. I turned to ask him what he felt like doing for the rest of the day but my words caught in my throat at the sight of him…wrapped only in a towel. My eyes raked over his body, from his still wet hair, over his gorgeous face, down his impeccably toned chest, finally stopping where he had the towel tucked in on itself to stop it from falling down. My eyes wandered back up slowly, lingering on the fine hairs leading from his belly button downwards… My gaze finally reached his face again as he leaned against the doorframe, smirking at me in a way that should've irritated me but it only turned me on more. "See something you like?" he asked with an amused tone in his voice.

"Mmm…I see a few things I like…" I replied as I moved closer to him, wrapping my arms around his warm body and stretching up for a kiss.

The arm that wasn't supporting his weight on the doorframe snaked around my waist, holding me closer as our kiss deepened. I slowly trailed the fingertips of my left hand around from his back to gently scratch up and down his chest, letting it come to rest at the top of his towel. He groaned into my mouth as I let my fingertips drift softly from side to side along the fold of the towel, stopping once again in the centre. I slid my fingers slightly under the top, untangling the towel so it dropped to the floor. I took his length in my hand and started stroking him at a leisurely pace.

He broke our kiss as his head fell back. He moaned softly as I increased my pace while randomly placing delicate kisses on his neck. He moved his hand from around my waist and starting working the hem of my t-shirt up when we heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Loving the reviews folks – keep 'em coming!

I've caught up with what I had pre-written now so it might be a few days between chapters from now on – but I promise there's much more on the way!

Chapter 7

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, unhappily releasing Edward's erection from my grip.

"I'm going to murder that little pixie," he growled, disentangling our bodies and reaching for his towel once more.

"Hello?" I heard Alice's voice ring out from the living room. "Is it safe to come in or are you guys still nekkid?"

Edward leaned down and whispered in my ear, "You go back into the laundry and do your thing, I'm going to teach my darling little sister a lesson," and then moved off towards the sound of Alice's voice.

Not wanting to miss her reaction to seeing Edward in a towel, I waited until he passed into the living room before following behind and hiding out of sight in the hallway.

"Alice!" I heard him exclaim. "We weren't expecting you home so soon!"

"For the sake of my eyesight, Edward, that towel had better stay where it is!" I heard Alice threaten.

I took a risk and peeked around the corner. Alice was standing near the entry to the kitchen and Edward had moved to stand close to the couch, so neither of them could see me from where I was watching. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter as Edward started toying with his towel, Alice getting paler and paler as the seconds passed.

After teasing his sister for what seemed like forever he shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Ok," he replied, turning and heading for the hallway to the bedrooms. He looked quickly over his shoulder to see Alice still watching him, and promptly whipped his towel off, grabbing it in one hand and running like a lunatic towards where I was hiding.

"Edward!" I heard Alice wail and I turned and bolted for my room, throwing the door open and collapsing in fits of laughter on the bed.

"Something funny? You weren't laughing at my body ten minutes ago," Edward teased as he walked in, bending to retrieve his boxers from the floor.

I could hear the _tap tap tap_ of Alice's heels as she walked through the living room and into the hallway, coming to a halt outside my door. "You have until the count of three to make sure you're decent Edward Anthony or you can stay at Emmett's tonight!" she threatened. "One…two…three!"

The door burst open and Alice stood on the other side with her hand over her eyes. "Bella?" she asked timidly, "Is it ok to look?"

"Yes Al," I replied with laughter in my voice. "His bits are in his boxers."

Edward roared with laughter at my comment and I joined in when Alice peeked through her fingers just to make sure. She marched into my room and smacked Edward hard in the middle of his bare chest. "You – out!" she told him. "Bella and I need to talk". For someone so small, Alice had a lot of strength. She started pushing Edward out the door. "And put some clothes on!" she finished, slamming the door behind him.

I was dreading what was coming next so I decided to jump in first. "Umm…Al? I kind of asked you not to come home till late this afternoon…"

"It _is_ late Bella! Haven't you looked at the clock at all today? Has something been _distracting_ you?" she teased.

I turned to look at my alarm clock and was surprised that it was 3pm. "Hmm…" I mused. "Seems like breakfast was actually a late lunch!"

"So _were_ you distracted?" Alice asked again with a grin.

"Alice, do you really want all the gory details? I mean, Edward _is _your brother…won't it be weird?" I asked. Alice and I normally shared everything – I'd been living vicariously through her relationship with Jasper for months.

"Ew," Alice said, wrinkling her little nose. "When you put it like that…just tell me if you enjoyed yourself. I don't need all the ins and outs…" she trailed off as I started giggling. She soon joined me when she realised her pun.

Once I regained control of myself, I answered, "Yes, I enjoyed myself…twice!"

"Ew! Bel-la!" she screamed, running to the door and opening it, only to find Edward on the other side. "Were you listening?" she demanded.

"To what?" he asked, puzzled. "I was just about to knock to let you know Jasper's here."

"Jazzy!" Alice squealed, running down the hallway.

"I swear, no one ever got away with calling him 'Jazzy' before Alice came along," I said, rolling my eyes.

Edward came and flopped down on the bed next to me and reached for my hand. "So, what are we going to do for the rest of today?" he asked, tracing gentle circles on my palm.

"Don't you need to prepare for your interview tomorrow?" I asked.

"I have some reading to do but I also wanted to talk to you and Jasper, see what the place is like and stuff," he answered. "Maybe we can hang out with them for a while?"

"Ok," I responded. Then I asked the question I'd been dreading asking since I woke up. "When are you going back to Chicago?"

Edward let go of my hand and cupped my face as he looked into my eyes. "My flight is at 3 on Tuesday. I wanted to have some time to spend with Alice and Emmett Monday night, dinner or something, so I booked a later flight."

"Maybe I can ask Jazz to take my shift on Tuesday so I can take you to the airport?" I offered. "He owes me one from last week – Alice was "sick" on Friday so he stayed home to look after her."

"So you could be sick on Tuesday?" he asked, looking up at me like a little boy.

"I think that could be arranged," I smiled. "We just have to convince Jasper to cover for me at the hospital."

"Well," he said, "we'd better go do that then. Besides, it's about time I got to know this wonderful boyfriend Alice keeps telling me too much about!"

I laughed as we stood up and moved out to the living room where Alice and Jasper were watching a replay of a Coldplay concert on MTV.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Room for two more?" I asked as we sat down on the second sofa.

"There's always room for my best friend and favourite brother!" she replied.

"Favourite brother? Thanks Al but don't let Emmett hear you say that!" Edward teased.

"So Edward," Jasper started, "what's the thrill of applying for the job at the hospital? You're a partner in a major law firm in Chicago and you want to move here to work medical malpractice?"

"That's pretty much it," Edward responded thoughtfully. "I was made a partner very young, only two years out of law school, and I've been there for 8 years now – I'm ready for a change. I've been working 80 hours a week for most of those 8 years, and instead of feeling 34 I feel about 60. The money is nice but I need time to _live_ – there's no point having money if I'm not enjoying it."

"Wow – there's the honesty that Bella deserved that first summer Edward!" Alice chided him gently.

"Well Alice, if I'm going to be moving to Seattle I should probably get off on the right foot with Jasper…and letting Bella get to know me better isn't a bad plan either," he answered curtly.

Jasper, with his innate ability to ease tension in a room, steered the conversation back to less dangerous territory by asking, "So if you get the job, how soon will you be moving here?"

"I'll have to give at least two weeks' notice at the firm and find someone to take over the lease on my apartment, and probably make at least one trip back here to find somewhere to live, so probably about a month from when I find out…_if_ I get it…" Edward trailed off.

"You don't sound hopeful of getting this job, Edward," Alice chimed in. "And that's not like you – where's that cocky big brother of mine gone?"

Edward grinned at Alice and said, "He's gone into hiding. I have almost no experience in malpractice work but I'm hoping the rest of my work will speak for itself."

We all sat back in silence after that and watched Coldplay together. It finished right on 6 and Alice bounded up off the couch. "Who's hungry? I'll cook!" She looked around at all of us and even Jasper couldn't help looking doubtful – Alice's cooking left a lot to be desired.

"How about we order in? My treat for letting me stay? Edward countered. "But you can choose what we have," he added hurriedly, seeing the dejected look on Alice's face.

"And you're paying?" she checked.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yes Alice, I'm paying."

She clapped her hands together like a little kid and announced, "Turkish banquet it is then!"

Alice grabbed up the phone and ordered a full banquet for four from our favourite Turkish place and asked for it to be delivered. Jasper and Edward didn't seem too fazed but I knew what delivery meant – there would be a couple of bottles of wine involved.

"Should we use the dining room for something different?" she asked when she was off the phone.

"Why not?" I answered. "I'll give you a hand to set the table – the boys can have some bonding time."

We gathered plates, cutlery, wine glasses and napkins from the kitchen and moved into our small dining room. It was designed on the plan of the apartment to be a study but Alice and I had both wanted a "proper" dining room, even though we had the table in the kitchen. We shopped around until we found a small enough dining setting and even though it was cramped, it was still nice to have a more formal area to have meals with guests. In true Alice style, she dug out some candlesticks and a couple of candles that weren't the same colour and placed them happily in the middle of the table.

"It's so nice to be able to do couple-y things like dinner with you!" she whispered softly so the boys wouldn't hear. "Even if it includes my brother."

I gave her a hug to say thanks, not wanting to let her know how sad I was that Edward would be leaving soon.

Being Alice, she knew I was upset and she pulled back, held me by the shoulders and whispered fiercely, "Bella, Edward is one of the best lawyers out there. He _will_ get this job, he _will_ move to Seattle, and you guys _will_ get your happily ever after."

There was so much conviction in her words that I nodded my head and drew a deep breath. "You know what Alice? You're always right – I'd be crazy to bet against you!"

"Damn straight you would!" she grinned back at me, just as the doorbell rang.

"I got it," Edward called from the living room. "Since I'm paying and all," he added under his breath, still not quiet enough for us not to hear.

"I heard that grumpy bum!" Alice hollered as she moved into the kitchen to get the wine from the fridge.

She came back in with Jasper and Edward who were loaded down with the amount of food Alice had ordered.

"Geez Alice, how many people did you order for?" Jasper asked.

"I ordered a banquet for four – we're feeding _two_ growing boys now, Bella!" she teased me with a twinkle in her eye.

"Umm Alice?" Edward questioned, "I think Jasper and I have finished growing…"

"Well, some parts of you keep growing." She winked at me as she said that and I felt my face turn the same colour as the beetroot dip I'd just opened.

"Keep it clean for dinner Alice!" Jasper exclaimed in mock frustration.

We all got stuck into the food then, and it wasn't long before Alice was opening a second bottle of wine.

"Not too much wine, Alice – I've got an interview in the morning," Edward cautioned.

"That's ok – Bella will help me finish it!" she chirped.

I groaned loudly and slumped in my seat. "No, Alice," I corrected, "Bella will _not_ help you finish it – Bella has a busy day planned tomorrow, besides which, _you_ have to work and I won't be driving you if you miss the bus…again. And Jasper's on day shift tomorrow so he'll already be at work…speaking of which…"

I turned to Jasper. "Any chance you can do my graveyard shift tomorrow night for me? Don't forget I did a double for you last week…" I wheedled.

"I dunno Bells," he replied, "I've got the day shift tomorrow so I guess I can take your graveyard, and I've got the afternoon shift on Tuesday so I can go home and sleep…" he trailed off.

"Thanks Jazz, you're the best!" I jumped up and ran around the table to give him a hug.

"Yeah, just remember that next time I want you to swap me a graveyard shift," he answered with a grin. "Do I want to know _why_ I'm doing your shift?"

"That would be me," Edward answered for me. "My flight leaves at 3 on Tuesday and Bella has offered to drive me to the airport. And with Seattle having so many reschedules with flights lately because of the weather, I didn't want to her be running late for work because of me. She also mentioned that you owed her a shift, so I thought maybe she'd like to call in the favour so we could spend some more time together before I left instead of Bella needing to sleep before work."

Alice was grinning from ear to ear as she said, "But I'm sure you'll still be spending plenty of time on Tuesday in bed, right Bella?"

I groaned audibly as I shook my head and looked at my feet under the table. Again Edward answered for me. "Alice, I care for Bella very much and I'd like to spend some more time with her, getting to know each other before I leave. I can't very well waltz in here, sleep with her, and then leave again, can I? It's rude and I know you'd never let me hear the end of it!"

Jasper saved the day again by interrupting. "Al honey, I should probably be off soon – I have a few things to do at home before work tomorrow. How about I give you a hand to clean up so Edward and Bella can spend some time together?"

I shot him a grateful look as I quickly pushed my chair back, Edward following my lead. "Thanks Jazz," I said to my first best friend. "Night Alice." I moved around the table to give my second best friend a hug, then turned and moved towards the door.

Edward bade Alice and Jasper goodnight and followed me out of the dining room, where we made our escape to my room for the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

We took turns in the bathroom, quickly brushing our teeth and doing all the necessary things one does before heading to bed for the night. I walked back into my bedroom to find Edward sitting up on my bed in a pair of striped cotton pyjama pants without a shirt, reading what looked like the same papers he'd been reading at the kitchen table when we decided we'd be "friends".

I quietly sat down next to him and opened the book I had been reading intermittently for months. "Interesting?" he asked.

"Sorry?" I looked over at him with a blank look on my face.

"Your book," he smiled, indicating the biography on Nelson Mandela lying across my chest. "I'm sure it's more interesting than reading up on the malpractice suits the hospital has had over the last two years."

"Oh, yeah," I replied, blushing yet again.

Edward laid his papers carefully on the floor next to the bed and then just as carefully removed my book from my chest, marked my page and placed my book on the floor as well.

"So tell me about the hospital," he said. "I need to know who to avoid and all the important stuff – like is the cafeteria food edible!"

"No!" I blurted out, giggling at the ferocity of my response. "Don't eat there if you don't want to end up in the emergency room. Although," I added slyly, "you could always end up as a trauma patient and we could play doctor…"

"Bella Swan, are you suggesting I should get sick on purpose so you could seduce me in the hospital?" Edward asked in mock horror.

I smirked at him as I responded, "You know what? You're right – it'd be much more fun if you weren't feeling like crap – then I could seduce you and it could actually go somewhere, instead of me having to monitor your pee output or encouraging you to poop so you could go home!"

Edward snickered like a teenager boy at my response. "Ok, enough talking about my poop – focus on the hospital! Who should I avoid and who should I make my best friend?"

I thought for a minute before a smile stole across my face. "Well, you've already met the biggest skank and the biggest man whore in the hospital, Dr Mallory and Dr Newton. Then there's the next biggest skank, Jessica Stanley – she's one of the nurses in the trauma centre where Jazz and I work with Dr Skank and Dr Man Whore. Most of the attendings are nice – they're serious about what they do, but they let the majority of us second year residents do things our way – there's a good level of trust. The only interns I have anything to do with are the ones that Jazz and I supervise – they're mainly ok as well, trying to prove themselves. It gets annoying but then I remember that was me not so long ago…What?" I asked, seeing how intently he was listening and watching.

"Nothing – you're just cute when you get into something," he answered. "I can just see you with patients, being all friendly and gentle and helping them out. I get the impression that no matter what you're doing, it's always the most important thing going on in your life – I admire that," he finished, leaning over and kissing me gently.

I leaned back against my pillows after our kiss and thought about what Edward had said. "You know, I think you're right – I really do focus on what's in front of me, especially at work. But I see you much the same way – look at how quickly your career took off – a partner two years out of law school?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'd say that's pretty impressive."

"It is and it isn't," he responded slowly. "I was so focused on being the youngest partner in the history of the firm that I didn't really live. I worked my butt off during the week, then I'd get hammered with the guys on Friday night, recover on Saturday, and do all the houseworky stuff on Sunday. Then the cycle would start again. Once I made partner, I started working harder to show the people who promoted me that it was the right decision. It's no wonder my girlfriend left me that summer I met you – I was never around!" he ended in frustration.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing for me that you've seen the error of your ways then, isn't it?" I teased.

His eyebrows knitted together as he turned to me and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Isn't the whole point of your hopeful move to Seattle to have a life? And by extension, won't I be some part of that life?" I couldn't believe how forward I was being, but I needed to know where "we" were going.

His expression brightened as he pulled me into his arms, cradling me gently against his chest. "Bella, I have every intention of you being a very important part of my life _when_ I move here."

I wrapped my right arm around him and squeezed gently. "I can't believe how much you sounded like Alice then – so certain! I never bet against her, and I'm starting to think I won't be betting against you much either!"

"I want this job Bella," he answered fiercely. "And what I want, I get."

With those words he rolled us so he was looking into my eyes. He lowered his head and let his lips brush gently against mine. "I wanted you and I'm pretty sure I've got you," he whispered against my lips.

"Uh huh," I whispered back, slightly breathless by the intimacy of his kiss and his words.

"And as much as I'd like to take this further right now, I also know I need to sleep tonight so I'm fresh for my interview in the morning," he said wistfully as he pulled back slightly.

Even thought I was disappointed, I understood. "It's ok Edward," I told him gently. "I work crazy hours and sacrifice a lot of fun time for sleep – which is hopefully something you'll get to see first hand _when_ you get this job."

He smiled at my words. "I like the way you think Bella, '_when' _I get this job. And I'd very much like to discover your sleeping habits first hand, starting right now."

He leaned over and kissed me tenderly once more, before lying down on his side of the bed and pulling me snugly against his side.

"Goodnight _my_ Bella," he whispered.

I smiled at the emphasis he placed on the word _my_. "Goodnight _my_ Edward," I whispered back, snuggling in closer so I could feel his body against mine as I drifted off to sleep and sweet dreams.

**A/N:** Sorry this is a bit short – there is more coming but there's a massive storm about to hit so I wanted to get this up.

Thanks again for the adds and reviews!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Apologies again that the last chapter was so short…and kind of boring, too. I wanted to give some background on Edward and why he was willing to give so much up.

Hopefully this chapter is a little more…ahem…fulfilling.

Chapter 10

I was woken by an unfamiliar alarm the next morning at 7:30. I groaned and buried my face in my pillow until I heard it stop. Next thing I knew, Edward was wrapping his arm around me from behind and kissing my neck gently. "Morning sunshine," he whispered.

I rolled over and lazily opened my eyes to find his gorgeous green ones looking down at me and a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Morning," I replied, stretching up slightly to kiss him. "What time is your interview?"

"Not till ten," he said, nuzzling my neck. "So we have plenty of time to…"

He was cut off by Alice barging through my door. "I'm not looking!" she announced, covering her eyes. "I was just wondering if Bella had seen my green scarf?"

"Um, Al, can you maybe thinking about knocking in future?" I asked her, annoyed that she had cut Edward off. "And your green scarf is hanging over one of the chairs in the dining room where you left it last week when Jazz was over."

"Thanks Bells, you're the best! And I'll knock next time, I promise. Oh, and good luck today too Edward!" she added as she ran out the door, closing it behind her.

I let out my breath in a huff. "I'm so sorry about that," I apologised to Edward.

"You don't have to apologise," he smiled at me. "Now, where were we?"

I didn't get a chance to answer as he dropped his head to mine and kissed me like there was no tomorrow. "Now Doctor Swan," he murmured into my neck as his hands slid down under the covers and started working my shirt up. "I'm very nervous about my interview today, perhaps you can help me relieve some of that…tension?" He rocked his hips into my side on the last word, letting me know just how "tense" he already was.

"I'm sure I can prescribe something," I responded cheekily. "What are your symptoms?"

Edward caught on quickly to where I was going and lay back, pulling me on top of him. "Well, my hands are all fidgety, I can't seem to control them," he smirked as he succeeded in pulling my old pyjama shirt off over my head.

"Mmm hmm," I nodded, trying to use my "doctor voice" and failing miserably. "Anything else?"

"I'm having difficulty breathing – I feel like I'm…excited," he continued.

"Oh dear, fidgety hands and a shortness of breath," I intoned seriously. "That doesn't sound good at all…" I trailed off as his hands wound into my hair and he gently pulled my head back, following that up with gentle kisses and nips down the column of my neck and out to my right shoulder. "Are you experiencing any other symptoms?" I was still trying to stay in character.

"There is one more…" he whispered into my collarbones. "My blood seems to be rushing to my head." He ground his hips up into mine as he completed his sentence.

I lost my character totally then, squealing, "Edward!" as he rolled me back over and disappeared under the covers where he quickly removed my pyjama bottoms. He slowly kissed his way back up my body, starting at my left ankle and kissing all the way up to my inner thigh. I held my breath as I waited to see where he went from there…and I wasn't disappointed. I felt his warm breath blowing across my centre, followed closely by his tongue. His name left my lips again, a moan this time as opposed to the squeal of only minutes earlier. He added one long, gentle finger to the magic his tongue was working on me and it only took him a few blissful minutes to make me fall over the edge.

While I was catching my breath Edward climbed out of the bed and quickly shed his pyjama pants. The sight of his erection standing proud made me moan aloud yet again. I couldn't believe the effect this man had on me – I felt like a high school girl all over again. He rummaged around in my drawer once again and was quickly back in the bed.

Feeling assertive, I pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips, letting his erection graze my entrance but not allowing him access.

"Bella, you're doing it again," he groaned.

"Doing what?" I asked and I continued my teasing, taking the time to place open mouthed kisses all over his chest.

"Killing me," he responded, pulling me up to his lips once more.

I deepened the kiss and then moved to take his length slowly inside me. He growled into my mouth as I slid down his shaft, only pausing slightly when he was all the way in before I slowly rocked my hips to slide him almost all the way out again.

We rocked together slowly for what felt like an eternity, him letting me take the lead and seemingly enjoying it.

I stilled for a moment, relishing the feeling of Edward being inside me, then, feeling bold, I slowly sat up and started riding him cowgirl style.

"Oh fuck!" he exclaimed, reaching out to cup my breast with his left hand and gripping my hip with his right.

"Like that, do we?" I teased, slowly moving my hips in circles.

"Fuck yes! Oh God Bella – please don't stop!" he was almost begging.

I moved my left hand down to his abs, letting my short nails gently scratch along the lines of his toned muscles and through the soft hair below his navel, and reached my right hand behind myself to gently cup his balls.

He growled again and moved his hand from my breast to my hip so that both his hands were helping to control the way my hips were moving. I quickened my movements and felt myself coming close to my second orgasm of the morning. I looked at Edward's face – his eyes were almost closed, his lips were parted and he was flushed…and it was without a doubt the sexiest thing I'd ever seen.

"I'm close Bella," he panted. "Come with me!" His hands tightened on my hips and he ground his hips into mine. Within seconds I was screaming his name and his was moaning mine and we came together.

I collapsed on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it gradually slowed down. Once it was back to normal, I rolled unhurriedly off him and stared at the ceiling with a goofy smile on my face while he cleaned himself up. I watched him lay back down out of the corner of my eye and propped myself up on my elbow to look at him.

"Well Mr Cullen," I was using my doctor voice again. "Did you find my alternative therapy lessened the severity of your symptoms?"

He grinned up at me, his green eyes dancing. "Yes Doctor Swan, I do believe I feel better. I am concerned that the symptoms may re-occur though."

I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face. "In that case, Mr Cullen, might I suggest we schedule a follow-up visit for…" I paused, pretending to consult a diary. "How about the same time tomorrow?"

"I don't know doctor," he responded in mock worry, "what if the symptoms come back tonight?"

"You're right Mr Cullen. I can't possibly let a patient suffer – are you able to come back tonight around 10?"

Edward dropped the act then, reaching up and pulling me down across his chest. "You're crazy, you know that?" he asked.

I just nodded my head, enjoying being close to him yet again.

He shifted, laying me back against my pillow and crossing his arms on my chest. He rested his head on his arms and looked into my eyes. "Can I take you to dinner tonight?"

"I thought you were going to spend some time with Alice and Emmett tonight?" I queried.

"That was the plan – I didn't know I was going to want to spend all my time with you though," he smiled up at me. "Maybe I can change my flight tomorrow…"

"Don't do that," I interrupted. How about I cook here tonight and we'll invite Emmett and Rosalie over, and Alice can take a plate down to Jasper at the hospital? That way you still get to spend time with them, you also get to spend time with me, Jazz doesn't have to eat hospital food and you don't have to worry about changing your flight?"

"Bella, you're a genius!" He shook his head in amazement. "Can I take you to lunch on Tuesday before you take me to the airport then?"

"I'd like that," I said, averting my eyes as I blushed.

Edward rolled his head to the side and moved his arms so they were wrapped around my body, burying his face in between my breasts and moaning happily. "I could stay here all day," he mumbled.

"I'd be quite happy for you to do that, but you need to get ready for your interview," I reminded him. "Go have a shower and I'll make you some breakfast."

"How about you come shower with me and we'll make breakfast together?" he suggested, starting to kiss his way from my breasts up to my neck.

"I suppose that's an offer I can't refuse," I replied, disengaging myself from his arms and sliding out of bed. I moved to the door and wrapped myself in my bathrobe, then looked over my shoulder, smiling at the sight of him sprawled naked across my bed. "Coming?" I asked with a wink.

"You bet your cute little ass!" he shot back, jumping off the bed and chasing me to the bathroom.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Ok, so this chapter is pretty boring, kind of a filler. I promise the story is going somewhere, this is just letting us see a bit more of Bella and Edward.

Thanks again for the reviews and the adds – it's nice to know what people are thinking!

Chapter 11

After a rather long shower together, I dressed for the day in a comfy pair of jeans and a t-shirt and Edward decided to eat in his towel.

"As much as I like looking at you in a towel, don't you have an interview to get dressed for?" I teased.

"I don't want to spill anything on my suit," he answered. "I only brought one with me and I've only got one shirt that matches my tie – I'd kind of like to make a good impression."

"Fair enough," I turned back to making breakfast, and soon we were sitting down to omelets made with tomato, bacon and mushrooms with toast on the side, and of course the obligatory coffee.

We ate quickly and quietly, and I offered to clean up so Edward could get dressed and go over his notes again before I drove him to the hospital. I heard him moving around, from the bathroom to my bedroom and then into the living room. I peeked in, not wanting to disturb him and saw him sitting on the couch with his notes, deep in concentration. He was wearing a crisp white business shirt and that was all I could see from the back, but I had no doubt that whatever else he was wearing, he'd take my breath away.

I headed to the bathroom and cleaned my teeth, pulling my hair up into its usual ponytail. I walked into the living room and slowly approached the couch, stopping when I was behind Edward.

"Ready?" I asked, reaching my hands out to gently squeeze his shoulders.

"As I'll ever be," he replied quietly, standing and reaching for the black leather briefcase on the floor. He slid his papers inside and turned to face me. He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes, and it was then that I realised he wasn't always Mr Cool, Calm and Collected.

I grabbed his suit jacket off the armchair and held it open for him to slide his arms into. I slid it up over his shoulders, smoothing the creases and folding the collar neatly.

He turned to me again, straightening his lapels and asked, "How do I look?"

"Perfect," I replied with a warm smile. And he did – black pin striped suit, white shirt, dark silver tie – all perfectly tailored and probably more expensive than most of my wardrobe combined. "Come on – don't want you to be late."

We headed out the door and down the hall to the elevator. I was surprised when Edward reached for my hand and squeezed my fingers tightly.

I turned to him and said, "Don't be nervous. We both know you've got all the credentials you need for this job, and besides, Alice said you'll get it, and she's very rarely wrong."

His smile reached his eyes this time and they sparkled. "I learned a long time ago to never bet against that pixie I call my sister."

All of a sudden he was serious again as we stepped into the lift. "But this job, it's about more than just me now Bella. It's about you, too." I was taken aback at his words and turned to ask him to explain where he was going, but he continued, "I've only really known you for a couple of days, but I already know you make me happy and I want to be with you. Getting this job will make that possible."

I smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. "Well, you'd better get over your nerves and go knock their socks off then!" I said as I stretched up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

The lift _dinged_ as we hit the basement car park. We stepped out and I led the way to my well-used truck. "Sorry it's nothing flashy," I apologised. "It gets me from A to B."

"It's totally you," he grinned at me over the roof as I unlocked the drivers' door. Once inside the cab, I leaned over and unlocked his door, amazed once again at the gorgeous man who was now sitting beside me, looking totally out of place in his thousand dollar suit. "What?" he asked.

I blushed, embarrassed at getting caught staring again. "Nothing," I mumbled with my head down.

He reached over and gently tilted my chin up so I had no choice but to look at him. "Tell me Bella," he whispered, leaning across the seats towards me.

"I was just thinking how out of place you look, sitting in my rusty old truck in your thousand dollar suit." I dropped my eyes but he only tilted my chin further.

"Bella," he started seriously, "I don't _feel_ out of place – I feel comfortable whenever you're near me, no matter where I am. Your truck is a part of you – I can see that. And," his eyes twinkled, "it's not a thousand dollar suit."

"See?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in frustration. "I can't even pick a thousand dollar suit – you, of course, would be able to pick one hands down!"

He chuckled and reached out for my hands. "I bought this suit in Singapore and had it tailored when I came home. Had I bought it here, it _would_ be a thousand dollar suit. Buying it overseas, it cost me less than half that." He leaned across, still grinning, and brushed his lips tenderly against mine. "Now, how about you get me to the hospital so I can start planning on how I'm going to spend all my time with you?"

I started the truck and pulled out of my parking space, then headed out of the underground car park and turned towards the hospital. We chatted about Emmett and Alice and growing up on the way, but he became quieter and quieter as the signs for the hospital appeared in the distance.

I pulled into the public car park and turned off my truck. Edward drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Did you want me to come in with you, show you where you're going?" I asked softly.

He turned to me with a smile. "I need to do this myself Bella, but thank you. I'm guessing there's a reception desk just inside the front door somewhere?"

"Yep, on your left as you walk in. The girls there are all really nice – they'll get you going in the right direction." I reached over and gently ran my fingers down his face. "Good luck," I whispered. "I'll be back here at 11."

He kissed my fingertips and gave me a nervous smile. "See you then," he said softly as he slid out of the cab.

I watched as he walked across the lot and into the main entrance of the hospital, then started the truck once more and headed for the supermarket.

I wandered up and down the aisles, picking up all the ingredients for homemade ham and cheese tortellini with creamy bacon sauce, as well as a French bread stick and garlic butter to make garlic bread and a couple of ready-made pie crusts to turn into dessert. I headed for the fruit and vegetables and picked out some apples and some blueberries to make the pie fillings and finally stopped in the chilled section for fresh cream.

I passed through the checkout and headed back to the car park. I passed the small local florist on the way out and stopped for some fresh flowers, a mixed bunch of roses, gerberas and carnations in bright oranges, deep reds and vibrant yellows. It was 10:45 by the time I loaded it all into the bed of the truck and I was about to start the engine and head back the hospital to wait for Edward when my message tone sounded.

_Have you heard from Edward yet? I just KNOW he's going to get it! xA_

I quickly messaged back;

_Haven't heard anything yet, just on my way back to the hospital to pick him up. Will let you know. xB_

I headed back the hospital and parked in the public lot again. I was only waiting for a minute or two when Edward walked out the doors and practically ran across the lot with a big grin on his face, throwing himself into the cab and leaning over and kissing me enthusiastically.

"I take it that went well?" I teased when we broke apart.

"It was _brilliant_ Bella!" He was almost bouncing in his seat with excitement. "They told me they're only interviewing two others, but they're more than happy with what I can bring them!"

"I'm so happy for you, Edward!" I smiled quickly over at him before turning my eyes back to the road.

"Happy for _us_, Bella, happy for _us_," he sang. He reached down and flicked on the radio and started singing along with Van Morrison. He wasn't awful but he also wasn't star material.

I giggled out loud at how happy he was and he turned and smiled at me again, his eyes dancing. "I should find out by the start of next week if I've got the job," he told me. "If I do, I'll be back about two weeks after that to sign some paperwork and find a place to live. Will you help me look?"

"Of course I'll help you look silly!" I laughed. "I think there's an apartment in Jasper's building coming up soon, he was mentioning the guy down the hall was moving out with his girlfriend or something. Although…" I trailed off, starting to regret mentioning it.

"Although what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Jasper lives in the same building as Emmett and Rose – do you really want to live that close to your brother?"

"Do they live on the same floor as Jasper?" he questioned.

I shook my head in the negative. "Nope – Jasper is on 3, Emmett and Rose are on 12."

"Pssh," he scoffed. "That's not close at all! Can you keep an ear out for me, let me know if it comes up?"

"Only if you help me unload these groceries!" I countered as we pulled back into the car park at my apartment.

Ten minutes later, the groceries were inside and Edward had changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He found me in the kitchen, starting to cook the apples for the pie for dessert.

"Lunch?" he asked, opening the fridge and peering inside. "I make a mean sandwich!"

"Sounds good – I just need to call Alice and Rose to confirm tonight," I told him.

I'd totally forgotten until I was shopping that I was cooking for six, even if Jasper's was going to him at the hospital. I picked up my phone and called Rose first.

"Hello?" she answered chirpily.

"Hi Rose, its Bella. How are you?" I asked.

"Hey you! I hear you've been getting close with Edward!" I could hear the grin on her face through the phone.

"And I wonder who you heard that from?" I shot back, smiling despite myself. "Anyway," I went on before she could ask for details, "I'm cooking dinner tonight and wanted to invite you and Emmett over."

"Ooh! Bella dinner!" she squealed. "We'll be there – you know I don't even need to ask Emmett – he loves your cooking almost as much as he loves me! We'll bring the wine?" she offered.

"That'd be great Rose, thanks!" Rosalie and Emmett both had a great knowledge of wine – I usually bought what was on sale. "See you round 7?"

"Can't wait!" she said as we hung up.

I was pretty sure Alice would be home since Jasper was working but I wanted to make sure.

"How'd he go?" she asked as she answered the phone.

"Well hi Alice, I'm fine thanks, how are you?" I responded in mock irritation.

"Sorry Bella! I'm just nervous and excited for Edward," she apologised.

"It's ok Al. He seems really happy with how the interview went, they said he'll know early next week," I relayed to her what Edward had told me. "But that's not why I called," I continued. "I'm cooking dinner tonight and invited Emmett and Rose over, I just wanted to make sure you could make it too."

"Like I'm going to turn down your cooking! But what about Jasper?" she asked me disappointedly.

"I'll cook enough for him too Alice – you can take it to him at work, break up the monotony of his shifts."

"You're the best Bella! Did you want me to bring anything home?" she asked.

I thought for a minute and thought about the flowers I'd bought. "Can you try and get some red, orange or yellow candles and napkins for me please?"

"Ooh, sounds fancy!" she squeaked in my ear. "Consider it done!"

"Thanks Al, see you tonight," I said and hung up.

I turned to find two gigantic sandwiches on plates in front of me on the kitchen table. "Wow!" I said in appreciation.

"Told you I make a mean sandwich!" Edward smirked as we sat to eat.

He told me about his interview over lunch, and then offered to help me with dinner.

"I'm more of a…solo cook," I told him gently. "But you can keep me company and help set the table a bit later?"

"Works for me!" he said, pulling up a chair at the table.

He watched for the next couple of hours and I put an apple and a blueberry pie together, made the tortellini and sauce and prepared the garlic bread. At 6 I had a quick shower then turned the oven on for the garlic bread and put water on to boil for the tortellini.

"Edward, can you please set the table for me?" I called. No answer. I stuck my head in the living room – no Edward. I heard the bathroom door open and poked my head into the hallway. My breath caught as Edward walked towards me in jeans and an open white button-down shirt.

"Can I help you?" he asked with a crooked grin.

"Uh…umm…" I looked away to gather my thoughts. "Yes! First you can do your shirt up so you stop distracting me, then you can set the table."

"Your wish is my command," he answered, quickly buttoning his shirt, leaving the top three buttons open. He followed me back to the kitchen and grabbed the cutlery and wine glasses.

"Honey, I'm home!" Alice hollered as she came in the front door. I heard her bag hit the wooden floor in the living room and then she danced into the kitchen. "Smells good!" she declared as she came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"What's in the bag, pixie?" Edward asked as he came back in from the dining room.

"Ooh flowers!" Alice squealed as she spotted the bouquet I'd bought sitting in a vase.

"Oh, they need to go in the middle of the table please Edward," I said, turning and smiling at him.

He returned my smile and picked up the flowers, carrying them into the dining room.

"Now I see why you wanted red, orange or yellow!" Alice said, clapping her hands together. "Voila!" She upended the grocery bag she'd been carrying on the kitchen table. Two candles and a pack of napkins fell out. The candles were red at the base, orange in the centre and yellow at the top – the colours kind of flowed into each other making them tasteful, not trashy. The napkins were a mass of red, orange and yellow flowers – and being Alice's choice, they matched the candles perfectly.

"Classy, Al, very nice," Edward commented as he came back in. "Anything else Bella?"

"Can you please put six dinner plates in the oven for me? Dinner's almost ready," I announced, testing the tortellini with a fork.

Alice pulled out the candlesticks from the other night and placed her candles in them and quickly folded six napkins into hats. She carried them into the dining room and called me in for a look.

It was perfect. The flowers were in the centre of the table with the candles placed halfway between the vase and the ends of the table. Alice had placed her napkin hats next to each of the wine glasses. I couldn't have been happier.

"Now all we need is Emmett and Rose!" I declared as the doorbell rang.

"Yay! Let the eating begin!" Alice sang as she ran to answer the door.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** It seems you guys like the "action" in this story. Well, I promise there's more coming, just not in this chapter. Sorry! I didn't originally start this story as a lemony one, it just kind of went that way.

Happy reading!

Chapter 12

I heard Alice throw open the door and squeal, "Emmie!"

Edward and I exchanged a glance as I met him in the kitchen. "Like the 'Jazzy' thing – she gets away with it all the time but no one else can," he informed me with a smirk.

"Hmm…" I mused. "Does she get to call you 'Eddie' as well?"

"Not a chance on Earth," he replied. "_No one_ calls me Eddie and gets away with it."

I filed that away for future use as Emmett and Rose followed Alice into the kitchen.

"Wow Bella, something smells fantastic!" Rose greeted me, kissing me on the cheek and placing three bottles of wine on the bench.

"Three bottles Rose?" I asked. "Alice is taking Jasper his dinner later and either you or Emmie here have to drive home…" I only thought twice about the words as they left my mouth.

"Emmie, huh?" Emmett threatened me with a huge grin, advancing across the kitchen.

"Indeed," I shot back coolly. "And if you want your dinner, _Emmie_, I'd suggest you move your butt into the dining room." Threatening Emmett with no food was always a sure winner. He hightailed it out of the kitchen, followed closely by Edward.

"Can we do anything Bells?" Rose asked, leaning up against the bench.

"Umm…if one of you wants to take the wine into the dining room and the other wants to take in the garlic bread, then I'll get dinner organised and bring that in too," I planned as I spoke.

"Done!" Alice chirped as she grabbed all three bottles of wine and the bottle opener. Rosalie carefully opened the oven and pulled out the garlic bread, placing it in the serving basket on the bench and then taking it into the dining room.

I took the plates out of the oven and spread them on the counter, then carefully divided the drained tortellini into six portions – three bigger ones for the guys, and three normal sized ones for us girls. I spooned on the creamy sauce, inhaling deeply as the smell wafted up to me. I balanced five of the plates carefully on my arms, grateful for my years of waitressing while I was in college and then med school. I left Jasper's in the kitchen and headed for the dining room.

I gently placed the meals on the table and sat myself down next to Edward, across from Rosalie. Emmett was to her left and Alice had taken the chair at the head of the table.

"Wow Bella, this looks even better than it smells, if that's possible," Emmett declared as he took a giant whiff, followed up by a massive mouthful. "Ooh, hot!!!!" he said round his food, fanning his hand in front of his mouth. He grabbed his wine glass and drank half in one go.

"Better?" Rose asked with a smirk, taking a dainty bite of dinner. "Mmm…" her lips turned up at the corners as she chewed. "Bella, you have _got_ to teach me to make this!"

I blushed as I started eating, and I had to admit it was pretty good. Halfway through the meal Emmett opened the second bottle of wine, refilling his own glass then offering it to Alice and Rosalie in turn.

"I'd better not, I'm going to visit Jazz at work after dinner, don't want to drive drunk to the hospital," Alice giggled. Being so small, even one glass made her tipsy.

"And I have to drive home if you're going to keep drinking honey," Rose reminded Emmett.

"Guess it's just me and the lovebirds!" Emmett sang as he topped up my still half-full glass and refilled Edward's almost empty one. "Come on," he scoffed at the look on my face. "It's not like you two have to get up early tomorrow or anything!"

We finished our meals just as the oven timer went off. Emmett stood and helped me clear the table and followed me into the kitchen. "Thanks Emmett," I said, turning to him with a smile.

"No probs. Look, Bella," he began, suddenly serious. "I care about you the same way I care about Alice – you're family. Wait," he said, holding up a finger as I opened my mouth to speak, "let me finish. Now, Edward can be a tool, but at heart he's a great guy, which I have a feeling you've seen over the last couple of days. And I want you to be happy…so I guess what I'm saying is, even though it's kinda gross since I think of you as a sister, I'm happy that you and Edward found each other."

I wasn't sure if it was the wine talking or not – Emmett was very rarely serious around me, and he _never_ talked about feelings. But I was touched – it felt nice to have him talk of me as a sister.

"Thanks Em," I smiled, hugging him round his muscular middle. "Now, how's about some pie?"

He carried both pies into the dining room for me and I followed with the whipped cream and serving bowls. I made sure to save some of each for Jasper. Edward and Emmett both dug in enthusiastically and Alice, Rosalie and I ate somewhat more politely, enjoying it just as much.

Emmett was getting drunk fairly fast for a man his size and was pulling Edward and me along with him. He opened the third bottle of wine partway through dessert and poured the three of us our fourth glass. For himself and Edward, four glasses of wine in just under two hours wasn't that much, but to me it felt like I'd been drinking for a week without a break. I was well and truly plastered.

I finished my dinner and sat back with what I knew was a silly grin on my face. "Uh oh, Bella's drunk!" Alice announced.

"Am not!" I shot back like a teenager.

"Drunk?" Edward repeated. "Hmm…this could be fun!" He looked over at me and I saw the fire in his eyes.

"Not while I'm around it doesn't!" Alice yelled, shocking me away from Edward's gaze. I hastily drank what was left in my glass and stood up to clear the table.

"No, Bella, you stay right there," Alice ordered. "Emmett helped you clear after dinner, Rose and I will clear up dessert and tidy the kitchen. You can referee between these two."

"Referee? Who needs a referee?" Emmett slurred. "I'm just drinking with my brother and his girlfriend, who happens to be like a sister to me…is that wrong, Rosie?"

"No, Emmett, that's not wrong. You enjoy your time with Edward and Bella while I help Alice clear up," she answered him, rolling her eyes.

The three of us sat there and drank and talked while Alice and Rose cleaned up from dinner. When they were done, Rosalie came in and declared it was time for herself and Emmett to leave. "You have an 8am appointment with Mrs Yorkie tomorrow honey, don't want to be hungover for the silicone queen!" If there was one thing that would sober Emmett up, it was his job as a personal trainer.

"Ok Rosie, we'll go now," he said, rising unsteadily to his feet and kissing her wetly on the cheek.

Edward and I stood as well and I was embarrassed that I was as unsteady on my feet as Emmett was. Edward grabbed my elbow to steady me as we moved into the living room behind Emmett and Rosalie to say our goodbyes. Alice came in from the kitchen with our picnic basket over her arm.

"Perfect timing! I'm just going to visit Jasper!" she said, placing the basket on the floor and moving to give Emmett a hug. "Bye, Emmie bear! Bye Rosie!" she added, turning and hugging Rose. "I'll be home in a couple of hours you two – I'll make a noise on my way in so I don't…ahem…disturb you." She winked at me and then skipped out the door.

After she left, Edward gave Rosalie a gentle hug and a careful kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, Rosalie. It was nice to see you again. Take care of this big oaf for me," he said to her, turning and punching Emmett in the shoulder. "See you round, little bro," he said, doing that weird half hug thing guys do.

"Take care, Eddie boy," Emmett said with his dimply grin. "Thanks for dinner Bells," he added, wrapping his bear-like arms around me, being careful not to squeeze too hard.

"You're welcome, _Emmie_," I teased. "Thanks for coming you guys – we'll have to do it again soon. Maybe when Edward comes back to start his new job?" I suggested, smiling at him over my shoulder. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Bye!" they chorused as the door closed behind them.

Before the lock had even engaged, Edward was pressed against me from behind, his hands on my waist and his lips at my ear. "You're beautiful when you're drunk," he murmured against my skin.

"You're pretty hot yourself," I whispered back, turning to face him. "You know, we've got a couple of hours till Alice is back…" I trailed off suggestively, running my fingers down his chest.

"Hmm, really?" he said, ducking his head to start kissing my neck.

"Really," I replied, starting to feel a little incoherent due to his ministrations.

I pulled back and grinned devilishly at him. "Race you to the bedroom!"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Again, I stress this wasn't meant to be quite as…lemony…as it has been. But I also make no apologies. What better way to start the weekend with the lemony goodness of Bella and Edward?

Thanks again for all the reviews and adds – I like knowing where you guys think this is going. For the record, no one has any idea what's around the corner…

Chapter 13

I turned and went to bolt from the dining room through the living room, then down the hall to my room. I didn't get far though because Edward reached out and grabbed my hips from behind. "What's your hurry Bella?" he growled in my ear.

The combination of his voice and the wine made my knees go weak and I allowed him to drag me back towards the dining table. My mind went crazy. _If he takes me on the dining table, Alice will never forgive me!_ I thought. Maintaining his hold on me, Edward leaned over and blew out the candles that were still burning on the table.

"Didn't want the building to burn down. _Now_ I'll race you to the bedroom," he said, abruptly letting go and running past me.

"Cheater!" I hollered after him as I followed as fast as I could. I skidded around the corner into the living room just in time to see his shirt drop in the door to the hallway. I ran the rest of the way to my bedroom as fast as I could, almost tripping over his jeans just outside my bedroom door.

I threw the door open all the way and stopped dead. Edward was lounging on my bed, wearing nothing but his white boxer briefs and a smirk.

"Beat you!" he announced as I started yanking my clothes off. Once I was down to my plain pink cotton underwear I stood between his feet at the foot of my bed. He was still smirking at me and I decided that I needed to do something to wipe it off his perfect face.

I stretched languidly, making sure I pushed my chest out in his direction as I reached my arms up over my head then leaned back slightly. "You know," I said softly, "after all that cooking, I really don't know if I've got the energy to…" I trailed off at the deflated look on his face. Chancing a quick glance downwards, I was please to see that his face was the only thing that had dropped. He was still straining against his boxers so I thought I'd try and push him a bit further.

I crawled up the bed to rest beside him, letting my body brush his occasionally but being careful not to allow too much contact. I snuggled into my pillows on my side and looked up at him from under my lashes. "Do you mind if we just lay here and relax?" I asked.

"You can relax, Bella, that's fine. How about I give you a massage to help you _relax_?" he offered.

_Hmm, backfire?_ I wondered to myself. _Let's see where he goes with this…_

"Would you? That sounds so good Edward." _Now for the killer._ "How do you want me?"

I saw him swallow hard at my last question. _Bingo!_ I rejoiced in my head. This was going to be fun.

"Uh…how about you…uh…lay on your stomach?" Edward suggested, his voice much higher than it was moments earlier.

"Your wish is my command," I teased with a smile as I rolled over and tucked my hands under my head.

"You'll need to shift over a bit Bella – you'll be more comfortable in the centre," he whispered close to my ear.

I shuffled to my right so I was more in the centre of the bed and felt Edward kneel over me with one knee on either side of my hips. He gently moved my hair so it was resting over my left shoulder and started stroking his long fingers up and down my back. He started on my neck and slowly trailed his fingers down in random patterns until he reached my waist. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek before whispering, "I also think you'll be more comfortable without your bra," while sliding his hand across to the clasp.

"Mmm hmm," I mumbled into the pillow. I felt the clasp pop open and he smoothly slid the straps from my shoulders. I worked my arms through the straps and slid it out from underneath me then relaxed back into the bed.

"Much better," Edward murmured against my neck before straightening up again. What followed in the next ten minutes was hands down the best massage I had ever had in my life. His long, dexterous fingers made every muscle tingle and the tension drained out of my body. Under any other circumstances I would have fallen asleep from being so relaxed but sleep was the last thing from my mind.

As Edward's hands reached my waist and started to slow I was painfully aware of how wet I was. Part of me hoped he'd stop where he was to save me from the embarrassment I was sure to feel when he discovered the effects of his massage, and the other, much bigger part was hoping those wonderful fingers would keep heading south.

Edward shifted from kneeling over my body to lying alongside me on the bed. I opened my eyes a crack to see him propping himself up on his right arm while I felt his left hand slowly slide down over my ass. I closed my eyes and smiled at the sensation. His hand kept going lower and my legs parted without my consent.

Edward's hand slid slowly between them and we both gasped as his fingers grazed the spot I was now aching for him to touch.

"Ungh Bella," he groaned, "you're so wet."

"You seem to have magic in your hands," I whispered, suddenly shy.

He leaned down so his face was level with mine. "Open your eyes, Bella," he commanded tenderly. I did as he asked and was startled by how intently his green eyes were focused on my brown ones. "If you think I have magic in my hands, then I guess I've got witchcraft in my fingers," he continued huskily as he slid my underwear aside and started stroking me softly.

I couldn't stop the moan that fell from my lips. I had no idea where my next words came from. "Make me come, Edward," I pleaded.

"Your wish is my command," he said quietly into my ear, using my words from earlier. His fingers stopped stroking me and I whimpered loudly at the loss of contact. "Patience, baby," he growled as he hooked his fingers into the elastic of my underwear and quickly slid them down my legs. He ran both hands up the inside of my legs, leaving a path of electricity in his wake. He once again started stroking me with his left hand while the fingers of his right hand traced random shapes on my lower back.

"More," I panted, thrusting myself down towards him. His fingers left me once again but I didn't have time to complain as they were replaced with the flat of his tongue. "Holy fuck!" I moaned loudly.

He pulled back again and grabbed my hips. "Roll over," he commanded roughly. "I want to watch your face as I make you explode."

I rolled over quickly, making myself dizzy because I moved so fast. Before my head had a chance to stop spinning from the motion it started again from the feeling of Edward's tongue on me. I looked down and was totally blown away by the sight of him between my legs. His eyes were closed and his cheeks were flushed as he licked and sucked. I threaded my hands in his gorgeous bronze hair and started spurring him on by rocking my hips.

"Don't you dare stop," I ordered him, causing him to look up at me. "For fuck's sake, don't stop."

There was fire in his eyes as he seemed to double his efforts. When I felt one of those crafty fingers enter me moments later I knew I was a goner. I let go of the few inhibitions the wine hadn't got rid of for me and rode wave after wave of pleasure as my orgasm washed over me.

"You taste so fucking good," I heard him growl over my sharp breaths. "Fucking perfect."

Edward gave me a few final licks before slowly making his way up my body while I calmed down a little, kissing, licking and biting a trail up to my neck. He kissed softly from the base of my neck to the spot under my ear, then back down again, then up the other side and back down again. I grabbed his hair and pulled him up to my face.

"Edward," I breathed against his lips as he started kissing me again.

"Mmm?" he murmured back, the vibrations tickling my lips.

"Open your eyes," I whispered. I wanted to see his reaction when I made my next request. His eyes opened slowly and I was happy to see the fire was still there. "Fuck me," I said to him. It wasn't a question, and I knew that he knew that as his eyes darkened from green to almost black. I went on. "Nothing sweet, gentle or anything else. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," he responded quickly. I reached my right arm back over my head and opened the drawer of my bedside table, fumbled around for a minute until I found what I was looking for, then shut the drawer. I tore open the package and rolled the condom down his erection.

Edward caught my wrists in his hands and pinned the gently down on either side of my head. "I'm going to make you scream because you feel so fucking good Bella." His voice rumbled out of his chest and he slid himself smoothly inside me. There was no pause as he started rocking our bodies together. He moved his right hand down to grip my hip while the fingers of his left one interlocked with mine.

"This isn't going to last long," he gasped as his hand slid from my hip to my thigh, pulling my leg up to wrap around his waist. The other one followed of its own accord and I tilted my hips up into his so I could take him deeper.

I moved my lips to his ear and purred, "Make me come Edward. You promised me I'd…" My words were lost in the scream of ecstasy that came from me as Edward started hitting the sweet spot inside me.

"Come with me Bella," he growled in my ear. We both lost the ability to speak after that, soft screams were the only way I could communicate and the only sounds coming from Edward were breathless grunts as he stroked harder and faster, bringing us both to our release.

We lay together afterwards, neither of us wanting to lose the connection. Edward rested his forehead on mine and whispered softly, "I'm going to miss you when I go back to Chicago Bella. Seattle feels like home already because you're here."

I smiled up at him and pulled him down for a gentle kiss. "Well you'd better hurry up and come back then," I said softly.

He rolled off me after that and we both got ready for bed. I wanted to hole up in my room with him until I had to take him to the airport the following afternoon, but I knew he should see Alice in the morning before she left for work.

"Penny for your thoughts," he teased as we climbed in under the covers.

I snuggled into his side and said, "I was just thinking how much I want to hole up in here with you until we have to go tomorrow, but I also know you should spend some time with Alice in the morning before she goes to work."

He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head. "I'll get up and have breakfast with Al in the morning, but then I'm yours for the rest of the day until I get on that plane. And I'll be here all night, holding you close."

"I could get used to this," I said sleepily as he kissed my head again.

"So could I Bella, so could I," he said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. "All in good time, beautiful. Now go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Edward – you mean a lot to me, you know?" I mumbled as sleep crept closer.

"You're pretty special yourself," he whispered back. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl."

**A/N 2:** Aw. Don't we all want an Edward to snuggle with? That's it for the lemons for now, he does have to go back to Chicago, after all. Might want some tissues handy for the next chapter. Stay tuned!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Ok, so I warned you about tissues. Get them now. I cried while I wrote it.

We're starting off in Edward's point of view because there's some things he needed to say. There will be more EPOV in later chapters.

This is a long one – but I had to get it out.

Chapter 14

EPOV

As I lay there with Bella sleeping peacefully in my arms, I was amazed to find that for the first time in my life, I felt whole. I'd never thought of myself as a person who needed that "someone special" in their life to be whole, I've always been self-sufficient and, by my own admission, self absorbed.

The summer I met Bella I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn't realise what was in front of me. Yes, my girlfriend dumped me when she dropped me at the airport that day, but it had been coming for a long time. We weren't in love, we weren't even really happy anymore. It was comfortable, and it was convenient. If she hadn't ended it then, I would have. There was no way it was ever going to go anywhere, and she deserved more – definitely more than I could give her.

So I got hammered on the plane. Not because I was upset, not to celebrate, just because. Even now, so many years down the track, I still didn't have a reason or an explanation. Sure, I'd apologised to Bella, and she deserved my apology. I was an ass to her for no reason, like I said to her, she was the only one there who would let me get away with it. My parents would want to talk about it, Emmett would deck me, and Alice would say something insightful to make me feel worse. So I picked a fight with Bella to make someone else feel as miserable as I did. Yes, I noticed she was gorgeous, but it didn't even occur to me in my drunken state to get to know her that weekend.

Now, laying in her bed for the third night in a row, I knew it was going to be hard on both of us when I left the following afternoon. She would be here, with the memories of our time together, and I would be back in Chicago, where I didn't want to be anymore. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined leaving the lucrative world of private practice where I could pick and choose my cases to work in medical malpractice. But when I heard the position was open, I knew that it was time for a change. I submitted my application without mentioning it to my family – I wasn't even sure the hospital would show interest in me since I didn't have any real experience. When I got the call asking me to come to Seattle for an interview I was stoked. I called Alice first – even though Emmett and I are closer in age, Alice and I have always been closer in everything else. She was happy for me and offered me a place to stay. I readily agreed and was looking forward to it until she mentioned that she and Bella were still living together. I couldn't bring myself to disappoint Alice though so I decided to go through with it. I suppose I could've stayed with Emmett and Rose but Rose tends to be rather…vocal when they're alone together – not exactly what you want to hear.

When I arrived at Alice and Bella's apartment building, I decided to be polite to Bella and apologise if I got the chance. I had a feeling if I got the job I'd be seeing a lot of her, both at the hospital and around Alice. When I saw her sitting in the kitchen though, she took my breath away. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. As she ran past me after we said hello I was confused by her reaction and also stunned by how good she smelled. After talking with her these last two days, I've come to realise that she was as taken by me as I was by her.

I was shocked by my feelings for her that first night at the club. I kept telling myself I was so attracted to her because of the alcohol, but when she came and saved me from Dr Skank I was instantly smitten. The way her lips felt against my neck and the way her body seemed designed to mould into my lap – it was too good to be true. I let myself get carried away that night – I should never have left the club with her and I sure as hell shouldn't have taken her to bed while we were both so drunk. But when I woke up spooning her the next morning, I didn't regret my actions one little bit. I wanted more, and not just more of the mind-blowing sex. More _Bella_. I wanted to know her – what music she liked, what authors she read, why she became a doctor and chose trauma – everything. I was over the moon when she reciprocated my feelings.

The last three days had been wonderful but now I had to face reality – I was going back to Chicago tomorrow and there was no guarantee I'd get this job here in Seattle. I closed my eyes and buried my nose in Bella's hair one last time as I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

BPOV

I woke on Tuesday morning to the sound of gentle knocking on my bedroom door. _Wait, gentle knocking?_ I thought.

"Come in," I called softly, not wanting to wake Edward. I stole a quick look at his face and was saddened to see the look he was wearing in his sleep – he looked like a little boy who had lost his favourite teddy bear.

Alice poked her head in the door. "Sorry to wake you Bells," she whispered. "I was just going to say goodbye to Edward before I left for work but I don't want to wake him."

"I'll bring him by the office later today if you want?" I offered.

"That would be great Bells – I'll see you later." Alice closed the door softly and I rolled onto my side so I was facing Edward again.

His breathing was deep and even so I knew he was still sleeping. I just couldn't get past the sad look on his face. I wondered what was so upsetting in his dreams – hopefully nothing that had happened over the last couple of days.

Being careful not to wake him, I slid quietly out of bed and headed for the shower. I stepped under the hot water and started thinking about how deeply I felt for Edward after only three days. I turned my face into the spray and let the tears come – I'd already promised myself I wouldn't cry at the airport – I wasn't going to do that to him.

I was startled from my wallowing by a knock on the bathroom door. "Bella?" I heard Edward's voice over the running water as the door opened a crack. "Is it ok if I come in?"

"Of course," I replied, trying to hide the waver in my voice. I heard the door close again and then heard Edward sigh. "Is something wrong?" I stuck my head around the shower curtain to make sure everything was ok.

"I'm conflicted, Bella," he answered, looking into my eyes. "Part of me wants to get in there with you and make love to you once last time before I leave today. The other part keeps telling me that's not a good idea – I don't want to hurt you."

I pulled my head back inside the curtain and then opened it from the other end, making it clear to Edward that I wanted him in the shower with me. "The only way you can hurt me now is to tell me that this is the end – there'll be no more "us" when you get on that plane."

"Not going to happen," he said huskily as he stepped in and closed the shower curtain behind him, pulling me in close. "There's going to be an "us" even if I'm in Chicago and you're here."

We took our time in the shower that morning, making love slowly and passionately before washing each other tenderly. Edward stepped out first, wrapping himself in a towel. As I stepped out, he enveloped me in a hug, draping an identical towel around my body as he held me close. We dried off slowly, heading to my bedroom together and dressing in silence. I was holding in tears again and Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my back into his chest.

"Talk to me Bella," he whispered in my ear. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want you to go!" I wailed as I turned around, hiding my face and the fresh tears that were flowing against his still-bare chest.

"Shh baby, don't cry," he hummed into my hair. He led us over to the bed and sat down, pulling me into his lap. He gently tilted my chin up so he could look into my eyes. I was astounded to see tears brimming in his beautiful green eyes, threatening to spill over. "I don't want to leave you either Bella. It's been three days and I already know you're the best thing that's ever going to happen to me."

I smiled at him through my tears as I whispered, "I never thought I'd find someone who would make me feel like this. With you, I just feel like I belong, like I fit." I lifted my hand and slowly wiped away the tears that were running slowly down his cheeks. I leaned in so our foreheads were resting together and continued, "We just have to realise that we have something so special here, Edward. You might be going back to Chicago this afternoon, but you _are_ going to get this job and come back to Seattle so we can be together, I just know it. And I have four days off in row again in two weeks so I can come visit. And you said yourself, _when_ you get this job, you're going to have to come look at places to live."

A crooked smile brightened his features as he replied, "You're right. It's just so hard, knowing that when I wake up in the morning you won't be there. I've lived on my own for as long as I can remember, but right now I want nothing more than to have you with me as much and as often as possible." He signed deeply as his arms tightened around me. "Let's make today memorable for all the right reasons, ok? No more moping."

I chuckled as I climbed off his lap and pulled him into a standing position. I wrapped my arms around his waist and stretched up to whisper in his ear, "I think this morning in the shower was pretty memorable…"

He turned his head and kissed me softly before adding, "The last three days have been memorable Bella. Let me take you somewhere special for lunch before I leave?"

"What constitutes special?" I asked. "I told Alice we'd go and see her at some point today too."

"For lunch?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Not for lunch, just a visit," I clarified quickly. "Now, about your definition of special…"

He thought for a minute before replying, "Special is something that will make you think of me, and me think of you, when we can't be together."

I wracked my brain, trying to think of something that Chicago had that could also be found in Seattle. "Got it!" I rejoiced, clapping my hands together. "But I'm not telling. I need a few minutes to work the phone, ok?"

"Yes ma'am," he said with a mock salute. "I'll be making myself scarce in the living room."

Once he was out of my room I grabbed my phone and called Rosalie. "Hey Rose," I said when she answered the phone.

"Bella! What can I do for you? I thought you'd be spending every last moment with Edward?"

"That's kind of why I'm calling…" I quickly filled Rose in on my plan and had her help lined up in no time.

"Have a good day, Bella. Make some happy memories to build on when he comes back," she said as we were saying goodbye.

"Thanks Rosalie – I owe you one!"

I hung up with Rose and headed out to the living room where Edward was flicking through Alice's latest copy of _Cosmo_. "Anything interesting in there?" I teased, leaning over the back of the couch.

"Not really," he smiled, reaching up and hugging me backwards.

"Ok," I told him, "you need to get your stuff packed so we can go see Alice. Lunch is organised for 12:30 so we can take our time and enjoy it before I take you to the airport."

"Packing won't take long," he said. "Wanna come keep me company?"

I followed him back to my bedroom and watched while he packed his stuff in his bag. In a split second, I decided to give him something to take home with him to remind him of me. "Did you get all your stuff from the bathroom?" I asked, hoping he took the bait.

"Good question – I'll just go check," he said, heading out the door.

I quickly grabbed the t-shirt I'd been sleeping in during his visit (when I was clothed in bed, anyway) and stuffed it into the bottom of his suitcase.

"Good thinking Bella," he called as he walked back down the hallway, "my toothbrush was still in there. Which reminds me," he went on as he walked over to his suitcase, "my interview papers are still in the living room. Would you mind grabbing them for me?"

I walked out with a smile on my face and grabbed the papers from the coffee table. Heading back to my bedroom, I had to admit I was proud of myself for the way I was handling Edward leaving.

Twenty minutes later he was all packed and his stuff was in the bed of my truck. We jumped in and headed for the centre of town where Alice worked at Victoria's Secret in their design department.

"Did you want to give Alice a call and let her know we're on the way?" I asked him. "That way she can meet us in the foyer and we can grab a coffee or something."

Edward pulled out his phone and dialed Alice. "Hey squirt," he said when she answered. I smiled as I listened to him tease his younger sister, sneaking a glance every few seconds and seeing the smile on his face.

"She said she'll meet us in the coffee shop on the corner so I don't get distracted by all the gorgeous women," he reported. "I didn't bother telling her the only gorgeous woman I was interested in was the one sitting next to me right now."

I blushed furiously as we turned onto the street that runs parallel to the main street in Seattle. I turned the corner a few blocks up and got a parking spot right outside Jacob's – Alice's favourite place to get a coffee.

We walked in and I was immediately greeted by the owner. "Hi Bella!" Jacob called across the shop. I raised my hand and waved, then grabbed Edward's hand and headed for a booth while we waited for Alice.

"Protective much?" Edward mocked me as we sat down.

"Jacob's been trying to get me to go out with him for almost a year," I filled him in. "He's a nice guy and all, but he's more of a friend than anything else."

"Hmm…" Edward mused, eyeing the tall, long-haired Jacob behind the counter.

"Cut that out!" Alice's voice cut across both of our thoughts. "Jacob is harmless, Edward."

"Still…" Edward trailed off. "I'm going to go order. What are you ladies having?"

"Full cream, flat white please," I replied, digging in my wallet for money.

"My treat," he said, placing his hands over mine. "Alice?"

She grinned evilly at him. "Double shot hazelnut latte with skim milk, two shots of hazelnut and cinnamon on top." Typical Alice – nothing plain and boring for her.

Edward smiled and shook his head as he got up to order. Alice and I both watched as he and Jacob sized each other up.

"Boys," we both sighed at the same time, bursting into giggles.

"Something funny?" Edward queried as he sat down with us again.

We shook our heads and started laughing again.

"Way to give a guy a complex," he muttered under his breath.

Alice and I got ourselves under control and the three of us chatted away like old friends while we waited for the coffees. Jacob brought them over and set each one down in front of us, instinctively knowing that Alice's would be the fancy one and mine would be the usual.

"So Bella," he said with a slight smirk, "gonna introduce me to your _friend_?"

Edward extended his hand. "Edward Cullen," he said formally. "Alice's older brother, Bella's boyfriend, visiting from Chicago." My stomach did little flip flops when he used the word _boyfriend_.

"Nice to meet you," Jacob replied, shaking hands and leaving quickly.

We sat around for another half hour until Alice decided she'd better get back to work. Her boss was away for the day but she had some samples she wanted to get finished for the following morning. I watched as they exchanged hugs and promises to call, then Alice came a wrapped her arms around me.

"Girls night tonight, ok?" she whispered in my ear. "And if you need me before I get home, you call me."

She waved goodbye and danced off down the sidewalk to her office.

"So, lunch?" I offered Edward my hand and started walking in the opposite direction to the truck.

"Ok, but where are we going?" he asked.

"Somewhere special," I replied evasively.

We walked for ten minutes before coming to my favourite park. I could sit on a bench or the grass on a warm day and read for hours. In my earlier call to Rosalie, I'd asked her to call the deli down the street and arrange for lunch to be prepared, then she and Emmett raced over to the park and set up a picnic for us. As we approached the spot, I felt Edward squeeze my fingers. "For us?" he whispered in awe.

"For us," I confirmed, sitting down on the rug.

We sat together and enjoyed the wonderful meal, then relaxed under the tree while we let our lunch digest.

"Special," he murmured into my hair.

I turned to face him fully. "You said special was something that would remind us of each other even when we weren't together. Well, I figured there's beautiful parks here and they must be in Chicago as well, maybe even close to your office. So I thought a picnic might be nice – that way, if you're missing me, maybe you can actually take a break and eat in the park?"

"You're brilliant, Bella, you know that?" he said, leaning over and kissing me enthusiastically.

Our kiss was interrupted by the alarm on my phone. My stomach immediately dropped and the tears sprang once again into my eyes. Wordlessly, we stood up and folded the blanket. I held onto it as Edward threw our rubbish away then came back and took my hand. We walked slowly back to my truck where I threw the blanket in the back before getting in the cab.

We rode to the airport in silence and I pulled into a space in the short-term car park with 45 minutes until his flight. We got out of the truck and Edward lifted his bag out of the bed. He set it on the ground and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair.

"It's not goodbye, Bella," he said. I was shocked to hear the tremble in his voice, and even more shocked when I looked up to see tears pouring down his face. My own tears immediately spilled over and we stood there in the parking lot, holding onto each other like we were drowning. After a few minutes Edward pulled back and mopped up my tears with his sleeve. "No more tears now baby," he soothed me. "We'll see each other again in no time at all."

I released my grip on his waist, sliding my hand into his as he picked up his bag and we headed for the terminal. I waited to the side while he checked his luggage in and collected his ticket, then quickly reclaimed his hand as we walked to his gate.

"We have half an hour," he said quietly. "Tell me more about your life before I met you."

So I did. I told him about Renee, my scatterbrained mother, and her second husband Phil, the minor league baseball player. I told him about moving to Forks to live with my dad Charlie, where I met Jasper. I told him about how hard it was, leaving Jazz to go to college, and how happy I was when I met Alice on my first day. I told him how excited I was when Jazz and I both got accepted to medical school. I was about to tell him about my internship when the PA system announced his flight was boarding.

My eyes must have been wild because he reached out for me and started whispering in my ear, "Its ok baby. I'll call you as soon as I'm on the ground in Chicago, and again when I get home, and again before I go to bed, and again when I wake up…"

I started giggling at his promises. "You really know how to make a girl feel better," I told him, making sure I was hiding my tears before I looked up at him. We stood and slowly made our way to the line that was forming at the gate.

"I mean it Bella," he said as he looked deep into my eyes. "I'm going to call you as soon as I'm in the terminal in Chicago, I promise."

The PA blared again, announcing the final boarding call for flight 417 to Chicago. I threw myself into his arms and squeezed as tight as I could. "You have to go," I whispered, barely audible.

"I have to go, but I'm not leaving," he stressed, "I'll never leave you."

He hugged me tightly and then placed one more gentle kiss on my upturned lips. "I care for you Bella," he murmured. "I'll talk to you soon."

"I care for you too, Edward," I told him as I let go of his hand. I stood in the same spot as I watched him pass through the gate, where he turned and smiled at me. I could have sworn he was crying, but didn't let myself dwell on it.

Once he was out of sight, I moved over to the windows and stood there for ten minutes until the American Airlines plane taxied down the runway and took off, taking the man I was sure was the love of my life with it.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**: Wow! You guys rock! Loved all the reviews and PMs, and thanks for the advice on how the legal system and so forth works in the US! Admittedly, it changed my plans a little bit, but it means this story will run a little bit longer than I planned.

I'm going to let you in on my plans – this isn't going to be a never-ending story. It's called "The Beginning of Bella and Edward" because that's what it is…a beginning. There's already a sequel planned, but it'll come a while after this one ends because I'm writing a Jasper story at the moment as well and it's going to be the next one up…when this one is finished.

Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter as much as the last…

Chapter 15

I stood at the windows until Edward's plane disappeared into the clouds. I slowly turned around and trudged back to my truck. I felt empty – like part of me had left on the plane with him.

I left the radio off for the drive home, not wanting to hear anything that would remind me of Edward. The cab of my truck still held his scent, making it difficult for me not to cry. But I'd promised myself that I wouldn't cry on the way home, or when I got there, or even in front of Alice. If I needed to cry, I'd do it locked in my bedroom. And even that was a last resort.

I pulled into the car park at our apartment and opted for the stairs instead of the lift. _Too many memories_, I let myself think. I felt the tears brimming in my eyes again but made myself hold them in. I finally made it to our floor and made myself a promise that I was going to join the gym – or at least use the small gym in the hospital from now on. I turned my key in the lock and walked in, only to find Alice already in her pyjamas, curled up on the couch.

"You're home early," I commented as I dropped my keys in their place and let my bag fall to the floor.

"I thought you might need me," she said softly, getting up and coming over to give me hug. "Go get in your jammies – I've ordered pizzas and they'll be here in half an hour. Tonight is for you and me to have 'Bella and Alice time'. Jazz isn't coming over, so I'm all yours."

I couldn't help but smile. "Yes boss," I replied with a grin – a real grin.

I walked into my room and was immediately hit with the smell of Edward. But I used it as a comfort, rather than a sad memory. I changed into my pyjama pants and went hunting for my shirt, stopping when I remembered that I'd hidden it in Edward's suitcase. The thought made me smile as I headed over to my dresser for a clean shirt. I pulled it over my head and headed out to the living room.

Alice was watching a re-run of _The Simpsons_ when I got out there, just in time to hear Ralph say to Chief Wiggum, "Daddy, I'm too scared to even wet my pants!" I couldn't help the laugh that escaped from me – Ralph has always been my favourite character and his one-liners never fail to cheer me up.

Alice turned from her place on the couch and smiled at me. "I forgot how much you love Ralph!" she said. Then in her best Ralph voice, which wasn't particularly good, she shot at me, "I bent my wookie!"

I collapsed on the couch next to her and we spent the next twenty minutes throwing quotes back and forth. By the time the doorbell rang with our pizzas, my sides were hurting from laughing so hard. Alice jumped up and paid the pizza girl, then dumped the boxes on the coffee table before running into the kitchen. I heard the fridge bang closed, followed by a cupboard. Alice reappeared wearing a big grin, carrying two cans of Coke and a pile of napkins. "Who needs plates?" she declared.

"Not me!" I cheered back, grabbing a Coke from her and taking the top pizza box. I opened it up to find I had Alice's pizza – supreme with anchovies, minus the pepperoni. "Yuck Alice," I grimaced, handing her the box. "Who eats salty little fish on their pizza?"

"Edward does," she shot back, the grin immediately falling from her face. "Oh Bella, I'm sorry! I've been trying to distract you…"

I cut her off before she could go any further. "Al, it's ok! I don't want to avoid talking about him. It's not like he died or anything – and I'll see him soon enough!" I was surprised because my words were actually true.

"You sure?" she asked, starting to grin again as she passed me my pizza – chicken and pepperoni. "Ick," she whined as the pepperoni smell drifted towards her. "Even the pizza place thinks you're weird!"

I poked my tongue out at her as I opened the box and picked up a slice, then shoved as much of it in my mouth as I could, just to gross her out.

"Jasper taught you way too many things," she complained as she took a dainty bite.

I swallowed quickly and washed it down with a mouthful of Coke. "Actually, it was me that taught him!" I owned up. Jazz and I both had a lot of bad habits, learned from each other while we at high school. We'd tried to rectify them when we were living together through med school, but the pizza shoveling had stayed. Plus, I knew how much it would gross Alice out.

We happily dug into our pizza, talking about Emmett and Rosalie and wondering if they were ever going to set a date for their wedding. We both knew that Emmett wanted to give Rose her dream wedding, and we also knew he was too proud to ask their parents to help out. His business was bouncing along, with new clients seeming to come in each week. Rose was earning truckloads with her modeling for Victoria's Secret, so we had a feeling they might set a date sooner rather than later now.

"How about you and Jazz?" I asked Alice round a mouthful of food. "Any plans?"

Alice blushed and swallowed. "Well, we've talked about it, and it's going to happen, but Jazz wants to wait until your residency is over. And he wants us to talk to Carlisle and Esme about it as well – he's so traditional!"

"That's sweet," I told her. "And yes, he's traditional. Always has been."

When we were both stuffed from dinner, we cleaned up and went back to the couch.

"Bella?" Alice asked timidly.

"Yeah?" I mumbled, absently rubbing my over-filled stomach.

"Are you sure it's ok to talk about you and Edward?"

I smiled at the mere mention of his name and replied, "It's fine Alice. We'll be talking all the time and I'm planning a surprise visit in two weeks – so don't tell him! I'll be fine!"

She had a thoughtful look on her face and I was dreading what was coming next. "Can we talk _about_ Edward, though?"

"What do you mean 'about', Alice?" I had a fair idea where she was going, but since we were talking about her brother, I wanted to be sure.

"Well, I know he's my brother…" she paused. "But you and I share _everything_! I want to know details Bella!"

I groaned. This was going to be weird, almost as weird as the first time I found Jasper in Alice's bed. Then there was the first time that Alice filled me in on the things Jasper could do with his tongue…something I didn't need to know about my best friend.

"Details? Alice, are you sure? I'm probably going to get pretty graphic," I warned her.

"I know," she sighed, "but I gross you out with Jasper stuff all the time and he's like your brother, so fair's fair."

Taking that as her blessing, I launched in. "He's wonderful Alice. That first night when we left the club, it was so hot! But then when we got back here, he was all uncomfortable because he was worried you were going to come through the door and…"

"_Please_ don't tell me you let that stop you!" she interrupted.

"Alice! If you want details, you'll have to let me roll, ok?" She nodded her head in agreement so I continued. "But then I told him you were staying the night at Jasper's so then he was all for it! We teased a bit but we were just so _horny_…" I trailed off again as I blushed.

"So was it good?" she prompted me.

"It was more than _good_," I emphasised the last word, "it was amazing. I don't think I've ever come so hard in my life!" I looked up then to see Alice struggling to cover the grossed out look on her face. "I told you! You're not going to be able to handle this!"

"I can handle it Bella," she assured me. "Keep going."

Next I recounted the following morning. "It was so sweet, and soft, and slow, and still hot!" I told her. "We almost went for two in one day except you came home and interrupted us!"

"So _that's_ why he was in a towel!" she giggled.

"No, he was in a towel because he was just out of the shower when you graced us with your presence," I informed her.

"Oops," she said sheepishly.

"It's ok. It was nice spending time with all you guys while Edward was here – it was nice to not be the fifth wheel for a change." Alice looked a little hurt at my comment so I added, "Not that you guys don't always include me and make me feel welcome, it was just nice to have someone with me for once."

She smiled as she asked, "So, was it all sex and orgasms, or did you guys get to know each other as well?"

I pretended to be wounded by her words, placing my hand over my heart while grinning like an idiot. "Well, the sex and orgasms were damn fine…but we talked a lot too. He told me lots of stories about you three growing up, and about college and law school and stuff too."

We were interrupted by my phone ringing. It was Edward – there was no way I was letting Alice listen in on this call. "It's Edward," I told her, running to my room. "Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Hey baby, it's me!" Just the sound of his voice gave me happy bubbles in my stomach.

"Hey me," I teased. "What's all the noise in the background?"

"I'm in the terminal at the airport still – I told you I'd call as soon as I could!" he said.

I was floored – he must've barely been off the plane and he was calling me!

"Bella? Are you still there?" his voice came through the phone. I heard him muttering, "Stupid bad airport reception…"

"I'm here!" I cut in. "Just went off into daydream land for a sec there."

"Ok, well, I can barely hear you, so I'm going to hang up, but I'll call you when I get home, ok?" His voice was all crackly – stupid bad airport reception, indeed.

"Ok. Drive safe!" I told him.

"Yes ma'am – talk to you soon!" We said goodbye and I walked back into the living room with a grin on my face.

"Not painful?" Alice asked with a worried look in her eyes.

"Nope," I replied with my grin still on my face. "He just got off the plane and wanted me to know he got there safe."

"That's so cute!" she squealed. "Who knew my self-absorbed big brother could be so thoughtful?"

"He's pretty amazing, Alice. I'm falling for him pretty fast…"I trailed off again, not quite believing that I was saying those words.

"How fast?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Fast," I said without a second thought. "Not love, not yet, anyway…"

Alice interrupted me again. "You think you're falling in love with him?" She started clapping her hands and bouncing again.

I reached out and grabbed her hands to settle her down. "I guess so," I said slowly. "I never really thought of it like that, but yeah, 'falling' is a good way to out it."

Alice grinned at me again. "That's so awesome Bella! I'm so happy for you," she said sincerely.

I reached out and hugged her. "Thanks Al. Just…don't say too much to anyone, especially not Emmett and Jazz, ok? I want to wait until I know for sure how Edward feels – which I'm planning on finding out when I surprise him in a couple of weeks!"

"I have the most brilliant idea!" Alice said suddenly. I could almost see the light bulb go on over her head. "I'll bet Rosalie can "borrow" some of the new line in your size for you…the models do it all the time," she assured me with a wave of her hand. "Edward won't know what hit him!"

"Nothing too…pervy, ok?" I pleaded.

"I'll even let you come and help choose it," she offered with a wicked grin. "Changing subject, what shift are you on tomorrow?"

I grimaced at the thought of work. "I'm on days tomorrow and Thursday, then I go over to the graveyard shift for three days, then I'm on afternoons until Wednesday."

"Only three days of graveyards? That's not too bad," Alice said, working out days in her head. "Eight shifts and then you're going to Chicago, right?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. I get Thursday off, then I work days on the Friday and Saturday. I was thinking I'll fly to Chicago Saturday night and get a hotel somewhere, then call Edward on the Sunday from outside his apartment building. Hopefully he'll be excited to see me and I'll fly back Wednesday morning and start back on days on the Thursday."

"Of course he'll be excited to see you!" Alice shook her head at me. She opened her mouth to say something more when my phone started ringing again.

"Again?" she said with a smile. "I'm going to call Jazz then crash – g'night."

"Night Al," I replied vaguely as I answered my phone on the way to my room.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Hello again!" I said when I answered.

"You sound happy to hear from me," Edward's wonderful voice came down the line.

"Now why would that be?" I mocked him.

He laughed and I felt my smile spread from one ear to the other. "Are you in bed?" he asked.

"No," I responded slowly. "Why?"

He laughed again as he said, "I'm not being dirty, Bella, just wondering if you found the little something I left you yet…"

"You left me something?" I was confused.

"Have a look under the covers on the bed," he told me.

I yanked the covers down and there, in the middle of "his" side of the bed, was the shirt he'd been wearing the day before he left. I squealed as I picked it up and breathed in his scent.

"I take it you found it," he chuckled.

I was mortified. "You heard me breathe?"

"No, it was more the squeal," he teased.

"Yeah, well, I stuffed something in your suitcase too," I shot back, slowly getting myself under control.

"Hmmm…guess I'd better unpack then," he replied.

I heard the locks on his suitcase click open, then his musings as he rummaged through the contents. "Mine…mine…mine…" There was a pause. "_Definitely_ not mine."

_Oh crap_, I thought. _The ratty pj shirt was going to far._

"Uh, Bella?" he asked, sounding confused. "I don't want to offend you, but when you said you stuffed something in my suitcase, I take it you meant the blue panties?"

My breathing stopped, followed closely by my heat. I'd done _what_? _Panties?_ I thought in a panic. _No, it was definitely a shirt. Unless…_ Suddenly it hit me. With everything going on with Edward, there was a good chance that some of my underwear hadn't made it to the laundry hamper. Which meant there was an equally good chance that I'd balled something up in my t-shirt.

"Bella? Are you still there?" he sounded worried.

"Yes," I squeaked out.

"Is something wrong?" I could hear the giggle in his voice.

"Um…the panties weren't the surprise," I started explaining. "The surprise was…"

"The t-shirt?" he asked. "I just found it."

"Yes, it was the shirt," I confirmed, still totally mortified.

He started laughing uncontrollably and I joined in for a few minutes. "I should've known the panties were an accident," he said once he caught his breath. "Not that they're not a nice surprise…"

I could see him smiling in my mind. "Edward!" I admonished. "I'm not some horny chick who sends underwear home with her boyfriend."

He laughed again before answering, "I know you're not the chick that sends her underwear home Bella, but even you have to admit you're horny."

The blush came back in half a second. "Only when you're around," I mumbled under my breath.

I heard his sharp intake of breath over the phone. When he spoke, his voice was husky. "Well, we'll just have to be around each other more often then, won't we?"

I felt a tingle go from the base of my stomach to the tip of my toes. "And you think _I'm_ killing _you_?"

We spoke for about another ten minutes before I remembered that Edward had only just arrived home.

"Did you want some time to unpack and take a shower?" I asked, hoping he'd say no.

"Yeah," he sighed, "but the shower won't be as fun without you."

I smiled softly then replied, "Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Nope," he said, popping the _p_. "I'll call you when I'm going to bed silly!"

"You don't have to do that," I assured him, even though I wouldn't complain.

"What time do you have to start tomorrow? I can't remember and you told me just this morning!" He was so considerate – I knew he understood how tough shift work was when you didn't get enough sleep.

"I start at 8 tomorrow morning – nothing awful!" I told him, double checking my roster that was on the floor next to my bed. "And considering its two hours _later_ there, I should be more worried about you being tired! Don't you start back tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I'm still calling you when I'm going to bed." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm not going to win this, am I?" I conceded.

"Nope!" he exclaimed, popping again. "I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

I shook my head as I responded, "Ok, but doctor's orders are that you get a decent amount of sleep tonight."

"I wouldn't want to go against doctor's orders," he mocked me. "I'm going to go unpack, shower and eat something, then I'll call you again, ok?"

"All right. Enjoy your dinner," I told him as I said goodbye.

Once I was off the phone, I went down the hall and cleaned my teeth. I could hear Alice talking to Jasper on the phone through her door. "No, I love _you_ more!" I heard her chirp.

I yelled out, "And I love you the most!"

I heard her laugh as she called back, "Jazz says he loves you too Bells!"

I kept smiling as I walked back into my bedroom. It was still only 9pm so I decided to get ready for work tomorrow. I laid my cornflower blue scrubs out on the old green chair in the corner of my room, along with a grey t-shirt and clean socks. I usually prefer to change at the hospital but the thought of being semi-naked in the locker room with Dr Newton made my skin crawl. I wasn't even sure if he was on the next day but I didn't want to take the chance.

I headed out to the kitchen and made myself a salad for lunch. _No more cafeteria food if I can help it,_ I vowed to myself.

With lunch made and my clothes laid out, I decided to crawl into bed and read until Edward called again.

I tucked myself in under the covers, no longer in the middle of the bed but on "my" side. I couldn't stop myself from leaning over and smelling Edward's pillow.

I lay back against my own pillows and grinned at the ceiling for a few minutes before I reached over and picked up my book. It was pointless – I couldn't focus. My mind kept drifting to Edward – how fast things were moving, how much I didn't care that things were moving fast, and how happy he made me.

I still couldn't settle so I decided to get up and cook. I knew I had graveyards and afternoons coming up so Alice would be at home by herself. And there was no way I was going to let her eat her own cooking for five days. That had to be against my oath or something.

By 10, I had two chicken casseroles, a beef stroganoff, an apple pie and some spinach and ricotta pastries in the freezer.

I was just loading the last of my dirty utensils into the dishwasher when Alice shuffled in.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, filling a glass with water and downing half of it in one go.

"Just waiting until Edward calls again before I crash," I told her. "There's enough food to feed a small army in the freezer."

"You're the best, _mum_," she teased me with a grin. She drained the rest of her water and reached out for a hug.

I gave her a squeeze in return. "I think I'm about ready to go to bed now," I announced. "I'll just stare at the ceiling or something."

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed, turning on me with wild eyes. "You can't let him do this to you!"

I held my smirk in as I replied, "You're right. I'll go pee first." I lost it then, breaking into hysterical giggles. "Oh Alice," I choked out, "you should have seen the look on your face!"

"Hmmph!" she huffed, storming out of the kitchen.

I chased after her and grabbed her elbow. "Aw, come on, you have to admit that was at least a little funny!" I teased.

"Yeah, it was," she said with an impish grin. "I should've known you wouldn't let this get you down."

My phone chimed as I read the text message that had just arrived with Alice reading over my shoulder;

_Miss you baby, will call you in 10. Edward._

"That's so cute, but…" Alice's voice drifted off.

"But what?" I was a little scared.

"Not, 'love Edward', or even a hug or kiss?" She seemed upset.

"There's no love Alice, at least, not yet," I told her hesitantly.

"That's sweet Bella – I know you won't use the words until you're sure, and even though Edward can be impulsive, he won't either," she said reassuringly. "Anyway, you need to go get tucked in before Romeo calls!" She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Sweet dreams!"

"Night pixie," I replied as I headed back to my room to wait for Edward's call.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Ok, so this one is short. I'm sorry. But it's stupid hot and my brain isn't working.

Thanks for all the reviews – it's nice to know I'm not just writing this for me!

Happy reading! 

Chapter 17

I just slid in under the covers when my phone rang.

"Hello again," I purred when I answered it.

"Well, Doctor Swan, what a pleasant greeting," came the one voice I dreaded hearing – Mike Newton.

"Dr Newton?" I wanted to clarify just in case.

"The one and only!" he confirmed. He even made my skin crawl over the phone.

"Why are you calling me? I know it's not to swap a shift for tomorrow…" I hated to admit that I knew we were on the same shift the next day. He had something going with the attending who was doing our rosters and he rarely worked graveyard shifts…unless they were on with me. And lately, more and more of the "normal" shifts I had were with him as well.

"I'm merely checking up on a colleague," he oozed down the phone. "Doctor Whitlock mentioned this afternoon that your new _friend_ was returning to Chicago today and I was worried about you."

_Worried my ass,_ I thought. "I'm fine Mike, really," I told him, hoping that the use of his first name would get rid of him faster.

"Well, if you need someone to talk to, or go to dinner with…" his voice trailed off hopefully.

"That won't be necessary, Doctor Newton," I said snippily. This guy just didn't get the point. "I'll be going to visit _Edward_ in a couple of weeks if all goes well, and he'll be back before I know it. Thank you for your concern, but I really need to get some rest for tomorrow. Goodnight, Doctor Newton," I said with finality, hanging up before he could say anything else.

I felt bad for the way I spoke to him, but he'd been after me since our first day as interns. I could still clearly remember him coming over and introducing himself to Jasper and me. As he walked across the locker room, I thought he was kind of cute. Dark blond, spiky hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile. His smile grew as he extended his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, Mike Newton. And you are?"

I shook his hand and was forcibly reminded of the cadavers we practiced on during med school. I'd introduced myself, trying to stay polite, then turned and introduced him to Jazz. I remembered saying, "And this is my best friend and our fellow intern, Jasper Whitlock."

Mike's smile had turned to more of a sneer as he shook hands with Jazz, seeming to size him up. "Best friend, huh? Not _boyfriend_?"

I'd laughed that one off and replied, "I'm planning on learning, _Doctor_ Newton, I'm not going to have time to date." I thought that was being obvious, but he just didn't get it. He invited me to the mixer that was to be held after our first month and I politely declined. He invited me to the end-of-year ball after our first year and I politely declined. Every year, without fail, he invited me to the ball, and every year I said no. We had just under six months until our residency was over, and I already knew he was transferring to the private hospital on the other side of town. They had offered to take him as a resident but he didn't want to go until he was an attending, and I had a horrible feeling I was part of that reason.

_You were my strength when I was weak, you were my voice when I couldn't speak…_

My phone ringing startled me out of my memories, primarily because it wasn't a ringtone I was aware I had. I checked the caller ID and it read _Edward_. Straight away I knew where it had come from.

"Your sister has been tampering with my phone," I told him as I answered.

"Oh really?" he sounded amused. "In what way?"

"Ringtones," I told him. "She's tarnished my phone with Celine Dion, and set it as your ringtone. I have no idea when she did it though…"

"It's Alice, she does things you don't even realise she's doing," he chuckled. "What are you up to?"

I told him about my cooking and how much food was now in my freezer, and about the call from Mike.

"Do I need to come back and break his leg?" he asked, his voice gravelly. "Or arrange for Emmett or Jasper to do it for me?"

"I hope you're kidding! I can look after myself," I shot back.

"I know you can Bella. I just don't like being here, knowing you're there with that…scumbag…hitting on you." The sweetness in his voice made me smile.

"It's ok Edward, I promise. Jazz keeps an eye on him at work for me, and there's only six months till he transfers out to another hospital," I assured him.

"Six months? That's forever Bella! At least I should be there soon to help keep him away." His voice lifted at the thought of living close.

"I can't wait," I said honestly, feeling that warm, bubbly sensation building in my stomach again. "But enough talk, you need to get some sleep! It's…" I quickly checked the clock next to my bed. "It's tomorrow there! And you have to work so now you have to say goodnight and get some sleep!"

"Are those doctor's orders?" he teased, his voice husky again.

"They will be if you're not careful, _Mister_ Cullen," I joked back.

"You do have a point," he conceded. "Call me tomorrow night after your shift?"

"Of course I will!" There was no way that wasn't going to happen.

"And you'll call me during your shift if Doctor McSlimy hits on you?" While I was impressed with the _Grey's Anatomy_ mockery, I was worried that he'd be distracted worrying about me the next day instead of focusing on his work.

"Edward, Doctor McSlimy has nothing on the hot lawyer. Besides, doctors aren't my type. Now if you don't say goodnight, I'm going to hang up on you." My tone made it clear that I wasn't kidding.

"You win," he gave up. "Sleep tight, my beautiful Bella."

"Sweet dreams baby," I replied.

"They will be if they're of you. Goodnight." He hung up after his goodnight.

I placed my phone on my bedside table and made sure my alarm was set for the next morning. I snuggled down under the covers and fell asleep facing Edward's pillow.

My dreams were vivid that night. They were full of Edward, Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, Mike Newton, and a blonde woman who I didn't know, who seemed to know Edward.

One minute we were at a party in a club that I didn't recognise, then we were in the park Edward and I had our picnic in, then we were at Jacob's, and then at the hospital.

I woke with a start at the hospital scene. Alice, Emmett and Rosalie were all in beds, Edward was crying next to Alice's and the blonde woman was comforting him. Jasper and I appeared to be trying to restart Emmett's heart, and Rosalie had a bandage wrapped around her head like she'd had major surgery. My biggest fear was one of my friends being brought into the trauma centre. Thankfully it had never happened, but my dream had scared me.

I quietly went and got a drink of water and went to the bathroom, stopping outside Alice's door on my way back to bed. I could hear her light snoring through the door so I knew she was safe. I crawled back into bed and snuck a look at the clock. The red numbers showed it was 3:15am. _3 more hours sleep_, I told myself, curling back up on my side.

I slowly drifted back off to more pleasant dreams, just Edward and I in the park, enjoying another picnic. I looked around in my dream and saw Alice and Jazz not too far away, and Emmett and Rose in the other direction. The unknown blonde woman was also there.

When I woke again just before my alarm went off, I couldn't get the blonde woman out of my head. I figured she'd been in the park dream because she'd been in my other dream and didn't think anything more of it.

I checked the clock again and had 15 minutes before I had to get up. I didn't want to get up early because I'd prepared so meticulously the night before, but I didn't want to stay in bed either because I was worried I'd fall asleep. I figured Edward should be on his way to his office, if not already there, so I sent him a text;

_Morning gorgeous! It's sad waking up without u but I know it won't be long. ____ Have a great day and I'll talk to you tonight. xB_

His reply came back almost instantaneously;

_Hey there beautiful. Waking up alone hurt but we'll be together soon. Can't wait to hear your voice. xE_

There it was! The first sign of endearment in a text! My heat jumped and I threw back the covers as I leapt out of bed and ran to Alice's room.

"Alice! Wake up!" I yelled as I burst through her door.

"Rack off," she grumbled from deep in the covers.

"Al, this is important. If you wake up now, I'll drive you to work today, I'll cook you dinner tonight, not something frozen, and I'll let you pick something racy for me to wear for Edward." I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my mouth, but this was important.

Alice rolled over and rubbed her eyes, then struggled into a sitting position. "Ok, spill. It's obviously something my brother has done." She rolled her eyes.

I thrust my phone at her and she squealed when she read it. "Ooh Bella, that's so exciting!"

"I know!" I told her. "Now get your butt out of bed so we're not late for work."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Ok, so it's a two-fer weekend. It's hot, I can't be bothered doing anything because I feel like I'm going to melt. So you guys get two chapters in less than two days.

For those Aussies reading, some of the names will be familiar. Yes, I'm watching the cricket while I'm writing.

Happy reading!

Chapter 18

Once I knew Alice was out of bed I headed to the kitchen for breakfast. I pulled the Chocco Balls out of the cupboard and filled a bowl, then drowned them in milk.

I was just about finished when Alice came into the kitchen, looking gorgeous in a cream skirt and pale pink ruffled blouse. "Wow Al, you look beautiful!" I told her.

She beamed as she put my cereal back in the cupboard and pulled out the Cheerios. "Thanks! Pink's never really been my thing, but I loved this shirt as soon as I saw it. Plus, I'm having lunch with Jazz today so I thought I'd dress up a bit more than usual."

"I forgot he was off today," I mused. "Why don't you invite him over for dinner since I'm cooking?"

"You don't have to cook Bells!" Alice giggled. "But I still get to pick out something racy for you!"

"I'd like to cook though," I replied. "And that way you and Jazz can spend some time together while I get dinner ready…if you don't mind waiting till 7ish?"

"It's a date!" she chirped as I put my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes – be ready," I teased as I headed to my room to get dressed for the day.

"Yes mum!" she said playfully to my retreating back.

Twenty minutes later we were in my trusty truck and heading towards the hospital.

"You're going to be early," Alice commented.

"Yeah, I know," I sighed. "There's a couple of patients I want to spend a bit more time with this morning though and it's been four days since I've been in…who knows what's happened!"

"I still don't fully understand what it is you guys do," Alice said. "I know that cases go into your ER, then some go into surgery and some get fixed up and go home…what's the trauma centre actually for?"

I smiled at Alice's question. Jasper didn't like talking work with her and we generally didn't talk about things with Alice around either – we'd managed for a long time to keep work and home separate.

"Well, we're kind of a dumping ground," I told her honestly. "The patients that are treated in the ER who don't need surgery but need specialist care come to us. Like last month, we had a guy whose leg was broken in three places. None of the breaks were that severe, but he left it three days after he fell off his motorbike to come and see us. They set the breaks in the ER, but because of the swelling he had from infection they couldn't put him in a cast and send him home. So he spent a few days with us until we _could_ put him in a cast. The general wards couldn't look after him because of the nature of his injury."

"Wow," Alice breathed, her eyes wide. "You sound all doctor-y. So you guys are like intensive care, but for patients that are kind of between being a really serious case and being a send-home case?"

I smiled at her appraisal of our work. "Something like that," I told her. "It's rewarding, that's why Jazz and I love it so much. We don't have to deal with the really bad cases like the surgeons and ER do, but we still get to practice some pretty cool medicine."

We traveled in silence for a few minutes before Alice said, "I really respect and admire what you guys do. I know I could never do it – especially if it was one of my friends or family."

I grimaced at the innocent reminder of my dream. "Funny you say that Al," I replied. "I had a dream last night that you and Emmett and Rose were all hurt and in the hospital. Edward was there and so was Jazz, and some blonde woman I didn't know."

"Why didn't you come and wake me?" she screeched. "That must have been terrifying!"

"It was," I admitted. "I ended up getting up and going to the bathroom, and I stopped outside your door. I could hear you snoring though so I knew you were safe."

I pulled into the employee lot at the hospital and we both climbed out of the truck. Alice walked around and gave me a hug. "Well, we're all safe, and now the only thing you have to worry about is not stabbing Newton with a scalpel," she joked.

I laughed out loud and replied, "Don't go giving me any ideas!" I quickly filled her in on the phone call I'd had from Mike the night before.

"Ew!" she exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. "If he does it again, hand me the phone and I'll deal with him."

"Yes ma'am," I giggled. "I'd better get in Al. See you at home tonight!"

"Have a good day Bells," she called over her shoulder as she set out on the short walk to her office.

I headed inside and dumped my stuff in my locker, put my lunch in the fridge then headed to the main desk to collect my charts.

"Morning Doctor Swan," Eric, one of my favourite nurses said as I approached. He was one of my favourites because he was always on top of things and never sleazy.

"Morning Eric!" I replied with a cheerful grin.

"Did you enjoy your days off?" he asked as he handed me a pile of charts.

"I did, thank you. What's all this?" I enquired, indicating the twelve charts in my hand. I was expecting six.

"Oh," he looked uncomfortable. "Doctor Newton called and said he would be in late today, and he told Doctor Warner that he'd like you to cover any new cases assigned to him because your work-ups were the best."

"I'll bet he did," I muttered under my breath. "Thanks, Eric," I said in my normal voice. "Can you please page me when Doctor Newton arrives?"

"Sure thing!" he said with a grin – he knew of my dislike of the good doctor.

"I'm off to have a quick chat with Warner before I round," I said with a tight smile as I headed to the Head of Trauma's office.

Of course, Doctor Warner wasn't in, so I headed back to the small resident's office to go over the charts in my hand. Three were existing patients of mine, two of whom I was pleased to see could be discharged this morning. The other would need to stay for a few more days. Three more were the new cases assigned to me and therefore my interns to cover. One was a woman who had poked herself in the eye with scissors trying to cut her own hair. _Two days tops,_ I thought. One was a man who had dislocated his shoulder when he fell off his roof. Like the guy I'd been telling Alice about, he'd left it a few days before coming in. They'd reduced the dislocation in the ER but orthopaedics didn't want him, so he was with us. The last was a young boy who had been stabbed in the side of the neck with a butter knife – by his four year old sister. _Welfare case_, I thought bitterly. It seemed that any time a child was brought in hurt under fishy circumstances they ended up staying with us until Children's Services could finalise the case.

I had a quick look over Newton's new cases, all simple and much less complex than mine. I headed back out to the floor and rounded up my three interns as well as the four Mike was supervising.

"Morning folks," I said to them all. "Doctor Newton is running late this morning so I'll be overseeing his cases as well as mine until he gets in."

"Again?" one of his interns asked. "He was late the other day too and Doctor Whitlock covered for him then."

"And then he arrived with Doctor Mallory," someone else commented.

"While the arrival habits of Doctor Newton are interesting, we have twelve patients to visit people," I cut in, storing the information I'd just heard away for my meeting with Warner.

We rounded on my three initial patients first, then did three of Doctor Newton's new cases. We were just about to go in to see the woman who had stabbed her eye when my pager went off.

"Looks like Doctor Newton has arrived," I told his interns. "Good work this morning guys. Here's the charts for the three patients we already saw, and these three will need to be seen by Doctor Newton," I finished, handing over the six charts that I really couldn't wait to get rid of.

Mike's interns headed off down the hall and I took my three interns with me to see the three new cases. I assigned one of them to each case, running labs, taking histories and all that fun stuff, then started filling out discharge forms for our two patients that would be going home.

Before I knew it, I was one o'clock and my stomach was trying to eat me from the inside. I stopped by the nurse's station and was disappointed that Eric wasn't there. Instead I had to deal with Jessica – she loved all the male doctors but held a special form of disdain for me.

"Hello Jessica, how are you?" I asked, depositing my finalised charts in the basket.

"Hello, Doctor Swan. I'm fine thank you. Yourself?" She barely looked up at me.

"I'm well thanks. Look, I'm just going to grab my lunch, if anyone's looking for me I'll be in the cafeteria, ok?" I told her as I walked off.

I heard a non-committal grunt from behind me so I knew she'd heard me. I took my lunch from the fridge and headed downstairs to the dreaded cafeteria. I bought a lemonade from the vending machine and grabbed a newspaper to read while I ate. I set my pager on the table next to my drink and started eating and reading.

Not two minutes later, I heard the chair across from me being pulled out. "Mind if I sit down?" Mike asked.

_Well, it's too late now, isn't it?_ I thought. "Have a seat," I said sarcastically, not looking up from my newspaper.

"I just wanted to say thanks for covering those patients for me this morning Bella," he started. "Something came up at home and I had to deal with it."

"It's ok, just don't make a habit of it," I said in a monotone, still not looking up.

"Well isn't this cozy," a nasal female voice interjected. I looked up now to see Doctor Mallory standing next to the table. "Mind if I join you?"

I rolled my eyes as I looked back down at the paper since the question wasn't aimed at me.

"Of course not Lauren," Newton replied. His tone made my skill crawl. "I was just thanking Bella for looking after some patients for me this morning."

"Really?" she simpered, dropping her tray on my newspaper.

"I'm done eating, see you two around," I spat out, picking up my empty lemonade bottle and container, leaving the newspaper on the table under Lauren's tray.

"I wonder what _her_ problem is?" I heard her ask Mike as I walked away. I just shook my head, dropped the bottle in the recycling and headed back to the trauma floor.

I stepped of the elevator and heard Doctor Warner calling my name. I turned to my right and walked towards his office.

"Come in and have a seat, Doctor Swan," he directed as I reached the door. "I understand you wanted to see me this morning?"

"Yes sir," I replied. "I was coming to see you about Doctor Newton, actually."

"Really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Not a problem as such, sir," I clarified. "Just a concern. When I arrived this morning, in addition to my own existing patients and my new patients, I was informed that I was taking all six of Doctor Newton's new cases this morning as he was going to be late. I don't mind," I rushed on before Doctor Warner could interrupt, "it's a good teaching experience and a good learning experience, but I'd like to be focusing on my own patients and the interns I'm supposed to be instructing," I finished.

"I understand, Doctor Swan, and I thank you for taking on those extra cases and extra teaching responsibilities this morning," he said with a small smile. "Your patient care is exemplary and your interns have nothing bad to say about you."

I was a little taken aback and muttered the obligatory, "Thank you, sir," while I stared at my hands in my lap.

"Doctor Swan, what are your plans when your residency here is over?" he asked.

"I was planning on staying right here sir," I told him honestly. "I enjoy the work, the challenges…it's why I became a doctor." I chanced a look up and saw him smiling at me from across his desk.

"Just what I wanted to hear," he told me. "Doctor Taylor is leaving us at the end of this year, and I was hoping you'd stay on."

_Where is he going with this?_ I thought. Dr Taylor was the attending who did our rosters. The other two attendings, Dr Hussey and Dr White were both men in their late thirties and neither of them had an administrative bone in their bodies.

"I'd like you to consider taking on the rostering next year, Doctor Swan," he went on.

_There it is_, I thought. "Can I ask why me, sir? I mean, Doctor Hussey and Doctor White have been around for a lot longer than I have…"

"That's exactly it, Doctor Swan," he said with smile. "They're too susceptible to all the bullshit that goes on around here. You've just been through all that with Doctor Newton and his being late – I think you're just the person for the job."

I couldn't help the smile that came across my face at the boss' use of the word _bullshit_. "It's an interesting proposition, sir," I said slowly. "I understand that Doctor Taylor's roster is slightly different to that of the other attendings because of her added responsibilities, will that apply to me?"

He laughed. "Yes, Doctor Swan, it will. Only three graveyard shifts a fortnight and more day shifts than anything else. We're also getting a fourth attending next year, Doctor Angela Webber. Do you know her?"

"She may have been in our class at med school I think," I replied, wondering if this was the same dark-haired, quietly spoken woman who Jasper and I went to school with.

"Either way, she'll be commencing with us in January," Dr Warner continued. "I'd like you to consider my offer, I'd also like an answer by the end of August please."

"Not a problem, sir," I said, shaking his hand as we both stood. "And thank you for considering me," I concluded as I left his office.

I walked out with a big grin on my face and immediately called Edward.

"Good afternoon, Edward Cullen's phone, Tanya speaking," came the answer.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** You guys all rock! Loved the reviews to the last two chapters.

For those who thought they knew where it was going (and you know who you are), I hope I've thrown you for a loop. For those who are just enjoying reading, stay tuned – there's more happy and more drama (and probably more lemons) to come.

One final note…Happy Birthday AzraTain! (Gee I hope I spelt that right!)

Chapter 19

My jaw dropped, my heart stopped and my stomach sank when I heard a woman's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I heard her say.

I quickly shook my head and replied, "Um, yes. Is Edward there please?" _And who the fuck are you and why are you answering my boyfriend's cell?_ I added in my head.

"He's out of the office at the moment, may I take a message?" she chirped back.

_Secretary?_ I thought to myself. But why would she be answering his cell? Working up the nerve to be polite but pointed I asked, "Can you please let him know his girlfriend called and ask him to call me back?"

I waited for her response to the word girlfriend, hoping like nothing else that she was just his secretary. I could hear her muttering on the other end of the phone. "Girlfriend called…please call back." I waited patiently until she came back on the line. "I've left him a note that his girlfriend called, and can he please call her back. Is there anything else?" she asked politely.

_Well, if she's being polite then I will too_, I decided. "Nope, that's it. Do you have any idea when he'll be back?"

"It shouldn't be too long I don't think – should I tell Mr Cullen that it's urgent?" She sounded efficient at least.

"No, that's fine. If he could call me when he has time that would be great. Thank you," I said as I hung up.

Still not entirely satisfied, I called Alice.

The phone rang and rang and rang before she picked up. "Design, Alice speaking."

"Are you busy?" I asked. "I can call back…"

"No, you're a good distraction Bells, what's up?" I loved that I didn't even need to identify myself.

"Well, it's a bit of a strange question," I started. "But does Edward have a personal secretary?"

Alice let out a silvery peal of laughter before replying, "I don't think Embry likes the term secretary too much Bella! He prefers executive assistant."

"Who's Embry? I'm confused…" I trailed off. _Edward has a male executive assistant named Embry…then who the heck is Tanya?_ I thought.

"Confused? Why?" Now Alice sounded confused.

"I just called Edward's cell to give him some news, and some chick named Tanya answered and took a message. I presumed she was his secretary." I told her.

"Well Embry has been around forever…maybe this Tanya is his replacement?" Alice mused.

My phone beeped in my ear then, alerting me to another call. I quickly checked the display to see it flashing _Edward_. "Gotta go Al, he's trying to call. I'll let you know."

I quickly hung up on Alice and answered the second call. "Hello?"

"Hey gorgeous, what's up? Tanya said you called?" The sound of Edward's voice should have made me feel happy but instead it stirred the doubt.

"I have some news, but I also have a question…" I wasn't sure how to ask who this woman was.

"Hmmm…cryptic!" he teased.

"Well, I was just wondering who Tanya is and why she answered your cell?" I blurted out in a rush.

"Yeah, I'm not impressed with that," he said. "Tanya is training to replace my assistant Embry. He and I have both told her she should answer my office phone, but she should never answer my cell, and she sure as hell shouldn't have been in my office while I wasn't there."

The doubt lifted immediately when he confirmed what Alice had suggested. I breathed a huge sigh of relief which made him chuckle.

"I hate to think what you thought when she answered my phone – I'm sorry," he apologised.

"It's ok – it was just a shock to hear a woman's voice when I was expecting you," I explained.

"So what's your news?" I could hear the warmth in his voice over the phone and it made me smile.

I quickly filled him in on what Warner had said.

"That's fantastic baby! So even though it's more responsibility, the hours are better?" he clarified.

"Yep, which means I'll have more time to spend with you!" _Brain fart!_ I told myself. _Rushing much?_

"You have no idea how good that sounds," he said. He almost sounded sad. "I haven't even been gone a full day and I miss you already."

"Miss you too," I whispered as I passed the nurses' station.

"I hate to do this, but I have a meeting in twenty minutes, can I call you tonight?" he asked.

"Four o'clock meetings? You really do work long hours, don't you?" I joked. "I'll be here until six and then I'm cooking for Alice and Jazz, how about I call you after dinner? Or is that too late?" This two hour time difference was going to be a pain with me working shifts.

"It's never too late or too early for you to call," he said.

I felt that warm, bubbly feeling again. "Ok, I'll try not to make it too late still. Good luck in your meeting."

We exchanged goodbyes and hung up. I was just tucking my phone back into the pocket of my scrubs when Doctor Roger Smith, one of my interns, came walking up.

"Doctor Swan? Sorry to bother you…" he looked at the floor shyly.

"It's no bother, Doctor Smith." He was always 'not wanting to bother me' which was a lot different to the others – they'd just come up and interrupt whatever I was doing.

"Thanks," he said, briefly meeting my eyes before looking at his feet again. "It's just…Doctor Newton just came and asked me to start a central line on one of his patients, then walked off. I've only ever done it with supervision, and I don't know that I should be doing anything on one of his patients…"

"It's ok," I replied through clenched teeth. "I'm going to go and find Doctor Newton and sort this out. You don't have to do it," I finished with a smile.

I turned on my heel and marched off back towards the nurses' station. Jessica was still there and barely looked up as I approached. _This girl must have testosterone radar,_ I thought as I slapped the counter to get her attention.

"Jessica, I need Doctor Newton as a matter of urgency. Where is he?" I didn't bother with manners – they got me nowhere with her.

"Resident's locker room," she snapped. "With Doctor Mallory." She looked at me then, as if she expected me to be upset by this news.

"You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me," I seethed under my breath as I stormed towards the locker room.

"Where's the fire, Doctor Swan?" I heard from behind me.

"In Newton's ass, I hope," I muttered, turning to see Doctor Hussey behind me.

He laughed at my comment and I blushed – I hadn't meant for anyone to hear me. "What's he done now?" he asked, falling into step beside me.

"I think it's more likely to be _who_ he's _doing_ actually," I groaned.

"Again? I caught him with one of nurses last week, and White caught him the week before that with a cleaner," he filled me in.

"So he's moving up in the world," I joked. We both stopped outside the locker room and could clearly hear a male grunting and a female squealing.

"That's just wrong," Hussey commented. "Ladies first."

I gave him a dirty look and threw the door open, freezing as it hit the wall behind it. There, in the middle of the lockers, were Doctor Newton and Doctor Mallory. Both of their scrubs were around their ankles and he had her bent over the laundry trolley our dirty towels from on-shift showers went into. What was even more disturbing was that they didn't even stop when they saw Dr Hussey and me in the doorway.

"Do you fucking _mind_?" Dr Mallory yelled. "We're busy."

Dr Hussey tapped me on the shoulder then and we both stepped back, letting the door swing shut again. "Warner's coming," he said in a quiet voice as my brain started working again.

"Something going on in there I should know about?" Dr Warner asked as he approached.

Neither of us needed to answer – Dr Mallory did it for us. "Oh fuck yes!" we heard her scream from inside the room.

A look of disgust crossed Warner's face as it dawned on him what was going on. "Who is that?"

"Newton and Mallory," I mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"Doctor Hussey, can you please go and find Doctor Newton and Doctor Mallory's interns and ask them to wait outside my office?" Warner said quietly. "Make sure they know they're not in trouble, I just need to get some information from them."

"Yes sir," he said, walking away.

"Doctor Swan, would you mind waiting here with me until they emerge? I could use some support." Dr Warner looked almost ashamed.

"Not a problem, sir. I don't think I can focus on medicine right now after seeing what I just saw," I admitted.

"How did you know they were in there?" he asked. "Or were you just unlucky enough to walk past?"

I laughed humourlessly as I explained, "One of my interns came to see me after Newton asked him to perform a procedure on one of his patients. I told him not to do it and I wanted to discuss it with Doctor Newton. I asked Jessica Stanley at the nurses' station where Doctor Newton was and she told me he was in the locker room with Doctor Mallory." I made quotation marks in the air with my fingers as I used Jessica's words.

Warner shook his head and muttered something under his breath that I couldn't catch. We heard muffled voices on the other side of the door and I worked out they were decided who was going to leave first and who was going to wait for a few minutes. The door opened and I wished I had a camera to capture the look on Lauren Mallory's face when she saw Dr Warner standing there.

"My office, now!" he demanded. "You too, Newton," he called into the room. They both stalked past me, giving me dirty looks.

"That will be all, Doctor Swan," Warner said, breaking me from my trance.

"Yessir," I mumbled as I wandered towards the resident's office.

I shut the door and sank into the chair behind the desk. I folded my arms on the desk and rested my head, closing my eyes for a second. All I could see was Mike and Lauren and the damned towel trolley.

I lifted my head from my arms and rolled my shoulders a few times to relieve the stress. Once I felt slightly more pulled together I left the office again and chanced a look down the corridor to Warner's office. Mike and Lauren were still sitting outside so I quickly looked away and walked in the opposite direction.

I took a quick look at my watch and was relieved that it was 3 o'clock. Time to round again. I went back to the nurses' station and collected the charts for our remaining four patients. The eight interns who were being supervised by Dr Mallory and Dr Newton were also there, and I had a feeling they wouldn't have a resident to round with.

"Jessica, has Doctor Hussey left on his rounds yet?" I asked.

"Haven't seen him," she replied, once again not looking up. And if she hadn't seen him, that meant he hadn't been past. Late 30s, happily married with three children – it didn't stop Jessica throwing herself at him every chance she got.

His interns arrived a minute later and he wasn't far behind. "Intern convention?" he joked, reaching past me for his charts.

"Something like that," I replied with a smile. "Can I have a quick word?" I motioned down the corridor a bit with my head.

"What's up?" he asked. "The sex doctors giving you a hard time?"

"I haven't seen them since Warner hauled them off to his office," I told him. "Which is what I wanted a word about. I started Newton's cases for him this morning and his interns can't round without a resident, if I take his cases can you take Mallory's?"

"Someone's going to have to," he agreed. "Deal."

We walked back to the interns grouped around the nurses' station and I announced, "Ok guys, Doctor Newton and Doctor Mallory are in a meeting at the moment, so Doctor Hussey and I are going to round with you this afternoon. Doctor Newton's cases will come with me and Doctor Mallory's will go with Doctor Hussey. Let's go – we're already behind."

I grabbed Newton's charts and had a quick look over them. The three cases I'd started that morning were well written up and he'd signed off on the treatment plans. The other three had reasonable notes but no treatment plans. _Great. More covering for the little prick_, I griped internally.

I started with those three cases and coached his interns into making a treatment plan on the spot based on lab results. I gave each of them a case to write up to be presented to me ASAP so I had time to go over it myself before leaving.

We rounded on my four cases next. Scissors-in-the-eye-lady hadn't done too much damage. Drops had been administered hourly since her admission and she was wearing a patch to stop the eye from moving too much. Doctor Smith was her intern and he presented her case well, speaking to her as much as to me. He quickly examined her eye in front of me and then stood to the side so I could check his diagnosis.

"Very good, Doctor Smith," I praised him. "You should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon, Ms Brandon," I told the patient. "Doctor Smith will be back in the morning to assess you once more and to work on your at-home treatment."

The patient smiled warmly at Dr Smith and myself and thanked us for the good news as we left her room.

My other three cases were a bit more complex but I was pleased with the way my interns had worked them up and taken their notes. I promised both patients that I'd see them first thing the following morning.

We finished off with the three cases I'd started for Dr Newton that morning. I was disturbed to find out that he hadn't even been in to see them, having sent his interns each time. More to file away for future use.

I thanked all seven of the interns for their hard work for the day and checked the clock. 5:45pm. "Ok guys, you've got fifteen minutes until go home time. Check over your charts again and see if you can tidy them up. Doctor Newton's team – please leave your charts in my basket when you go – I'll give them a final check before I head out. My team – I'll see you in the morning!"

I was farewelled with a chorus of thanks and see you tomorrow's as I headed once more for the resident's office. I signed off on the orders I needed to clear and started the discharge paperwork for Ms Brandon for the next day. Just before 6:30 I collected the charts and dropped them at the nurses' station, chatted to Dr Taylor for a few minutes as I handed the cases over for the night and then walked slowly back to the locker room. I really didn't want to go in there but I also knew I had no choice.

"Together?" I turned as Dr Hussey walked down the corridor. "I don't really want to go in there either," he explained, "so maybe we can face the evil sex demons together?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," I agreed as he pushed the door open.

We entered the blissfully empty locker room and headed to opposite ends to collect our stuff. "Doctor Swan?" he called from his locker.

"It's Bella," I told him. "At least, off shift it's Bella."

"Bella," he confirmed with a nod of his head. "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't really come to a lot of the social functions – I think today is the most I've ever spoken to you!"

"You're not being rude, just observant," I replied with a small smile. "I've just never felt like I fit in – everyone had someone. I mean, you have your family, Doctor Whitlock has Alice…"

"But now you have someone?" he probed. I must have looked shocked because he hurriedly went on, "There's just something different about you. You seem happy…and I heard you ask someone to tell someone his girlfriend called today."

I didn't even care that my conversation had been overheard. My smile grew as I confirmed his observations. "Yeah, there's someone now. You know Doctor Whitlock's girlfriend?"

He nodded. "You guys are friends from college, right?"

We started walking out to the parking lot together as I explained. "Yes. Jasper and I went to high school together, then I met Alice in college, then Jasper and I went to med school together, and now Alice and I live together and they're dating."

He processed the information then got me back on track. "So, this has what to do with your someone, exactly?"

"Oh!" I was flustered. "I've been rambling. Anyway, my 'someone' as you put it is Alice's elder brother Edward – it's all very new and he's living in Chicago but he could be moving here shortly. He applied for the in-house lawyer position here."

"That'll be nice for you if he gets it," he said with a warm smile. "When did he pass the Washington bar exam?"

"Huh?" I was confused. Edward was already a lawyer.

"I only know because my brother David relocated here two years ago and he's a lawyer. He was licensed in Arizona but still had to pass the Washington bar before he could practice here," he explained.

"Oh – I'm not really sure but my guess is it's under control," I told him as I stopped at my truck.

"Well, good luck with it all. See you tomorrow?" he asked over his shoulder as he kept walking.

"Same bat time, same bat channel," I shot back with a smile as I unlocked the cab and climbed in.

_Home and dinner,_ I thought. _And then a nice long call to Edward._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

EPOV

I left the office just after 6pm on Wednesday. After having two days off to be in Seattle I had a lot to catch up on, the least of which was training a new assistant.

When Embry had come to me three months earlier and announced he would be leaving in July I was grateful to him for giving me so much notice. His wife was originally from Texas and had secured a job there with a well-known interior design company. I was happy for them both and contacted some colleagues to help Embry line up a position to go into when they moved.

I advertised for a trained executive assistant shortly after Embry gave his notice and we held interviews in late April. He was going to be impossible to replace. Embry had started law school at the same time as me and had decided it just wasn't for him. He went back to college and did a second degree in human movement. I knew he was hoping to one day open his own kid's gym, but money was always going to be an issue.

When I started with Yorkie and Cheney I was told that I could hire my own assistant and immediately thought or Embry. I gave him a call and he was on board within ten minutes. We knew each other so well that half the time I didn't even need words. We established boundaries early on – my office was off-limits to everyone except for me and the partners. This also meant that Embry didn't enter my office if I wasn't there, without my permission. He was to answer the office phone but never my cell. I'd always been a private person and my cell was never to be used for business calls.

He and I had both been stressing 'the rules' to Tanya since she started with us the week before. Embry had three weeks to train her up to my standard. While her resume was impeccable, having worked for our biggest rival for five years, she was still your typical vapid blonde. She had arrived for her interview in a modest cranberry coloured suit with a white cream blouse – I only remembered because the colour was striking on her. First day of work, she had arrived in a black skirt suit and enormous stilettos. Yorkie and Cheney both forbade stilettos on employees because they marked the wooden floors that ran through most of the building. Embry politely mentioned it to her and the next day she was in more 'suitable' shoes. The clothes had become more and more revealing however, until last Friday when someone had slipped the company dress code into her in-tray. I had a sneaking suspicion it was Embry but didn't feel the need to ask.

Her taking Bella's call to my cell had been awful. I had gone to the bathroom and had run into Yorkie in the hallway. He wanted to know how the interview in Seattle went and I ended up being longer than expected. While he was technically my equal since I was now a partner, I still saw him as my boss. Both in their late 40s, Yorkie and Cheney had decided to open their own firm straight out of law school instead of working for someone else. And it worked for them. We were now the second largest law firm in Chicago and had a fantastic reputation. I was sad to be leaving it all behind but I knew without a doubt that my future was now in Seattle…with Bella.

I stopped off at my favourite Thai restaurant and grabbed some take-out for dinner. I love to cook but I was ready to relax with a glass of wine, some easy food and a good book. I pulled into my garage at 6:30, grabbed my briefcase and dinner and walked inside. The townhouse complex I lived in was full of young professionals much like myself – doctors, lawyers, the odd actor. Young people with plenty of money and no family.

I dropped my briefcase inside the door and walked into my kitchen. I quickly unpacked the containers of food and made myself a plate, mixing the leftovers together to take for lunch the next day. _Maybe I'll go to the park and eat_, I thought to myself, smiling as I remembered my picnic with Bella. I poured myself a glass of red and walked into the living room to eat.

The message light on the answering machine was flashing so I hit the play button before sitting in my favourite armchair.

"_One new message," _the recorded voice droned.

"Eddie, it's Emmett." His voice still managed to boom, even through the tinny speaker. "Look, I know you don't have the job yet, but I was thinking I'd come help you move when it happens. We can hire a truck and take turns driving, the other can drive your car. Talk soon!"

I grinned at Emmett's plans. Moving closer to the rest of my family was the main reason I'd decided on Seattle in the first place. And now there was Bella as well…life was pretty darn good.

I flipped idly through the channels while I ate but nothing held my interest. I scraped the last of the noodles off my plate, drained my wine glass and took them back to the kitchen. I loaded them in the dishwasher and set the timer on my coffee machine for the next morning. There's nothing better than the smell of freshly brewed coffee when you walk into the kitchen. _Unless it's been freshly brewed by Bella…_ A stupid grin attached itself to my face as I thought of her again. I chanced a look at the clock and saw that it was only 7pm. That meant Bella was still at work in Seattle.

I walked down the short hallway to my bedroom and yanked off my already-loosened tie. I hung it, along with my belt in the walk-in robe and kicked my shoes into the corner. I could just imagine my mother grimacing at my treatment of the expensive shoes…not to mention Alice. I crossed the room and turned on the lamp next to my bed, then switched off the main light as I walked into my ensuite. I turned on the hot water in the shower and removed my clothes, throwing them in the hamper while I waited for the water to heat up. I stepped in and adjusted it to the right temperature, then stood there and let the warmth flow over my body, relaxing me.

My mind wandered back to the shower Bella and I had shared. I could almost feel her with me as I imagined her moans filling _this_ bathroom. In my mind's eye, I saw myself holding her against the blue-tiled wall, driving into her deeper and deeper, her legs tightening around my waist to pull me even closer. I pictured us moving from the shower to my bed, her hair soaking my pillows as I laid her down and made sweet love to her…

I shook my head to clear my mind. There was no point getting myself all worked up now – it was going to be far too long before I was with her again. I quickly washed my body and my hair, then shut off the water and wrapped myself in a towel. I took my time shaving and eventually moved back into the bedroom. I pulled on a white t-shirt and a pair of blue cotton pyjama pants. I could just see the clock from the corner of my eye and resisted the urge to look at it again.

I walked back to the living room and picked up the book I'd been reading before going to Seattle. Again I smiled as I saw Bella reading her book on Mandela. I couldn't wait to share my favourites with her. I turned the worn pages of _The Da Vinci Code_ to the place my bookmark was tucked into the margin. I let myself get lost in the world of codes and running from the French police and jumped when my phone rang.

I reached across and lifted the receiver. "Hello?"

"What, no secretary this time?" Bella's voice came down the line and I immediately ached to hold her in my arms.

"Very funny," I shot back. "How was the rest of your day?"

"Can you believe it got worse than thinking you had some bimbo answering your phone?" she sighed.

_Better not tell her Tanya really_ is_ a bimbo_, I thought to myself. "What happened?" I asked.

I laughed as she told me about finding our two favourite doctors locked at the hips in the locker room, quickly assuring her that I didn't think it was funny that she'd seen that, just that it was funny that they were stupid enough to do it in the first place.

"I miss you," she whispered once she finished her story.

I could tell there was more on her mind. "I miss you too baby – I can't wait till I see you again," I told her honestly. "Is there something else on your mind?"

I could tell she was contemplating whether or not to tell me. "Well…are you licensed to practice law in Washington?" she asked timidly.

Time for more honesty. "No Bella, I'm not. The Washington bar exam is in early July though so I'm going to come and take it even I don't get the job at the hospital. Results can take up to a month but apparently the Chief of Staff is related to the head of the Washington Bar Association in some way and can get my results processed faster."

"So you won't be delayed six months or anything?" she squeaked out.

She sounded like she was going to cry and my heart just about broke. "No honey, I'm not going to be delayed. Even if I don't get the hospital job I'm moving to Seattle. I want to be with _you_, Bella, job or no job."

The smile in her voice was evident. "I want you be with you too Edward," she said. "Just the thought of seeing you every day…"

"I know," I replied wistfully. Trying to lighten the mood, I asked, "What are you wearing?"

I felt her blush through the phone. "Edward!" she squealed.

"What?" I asked innocently. "Can't I ask what my girlfriend wears after a long day at work?"

She _hmpph_ed into the receiver and I laughed. "Keep that up and I won't tell you," she threatened.

I stopped and promised to be good. "I'm waiting," I prompted.

"I'm wearing an old pair of grey sweats and one of my college t-shirts – how exciting am I?" she said. "What are _you_ wearing?"

"Nought but a smile," I teased again.

I heard her breath catch and really did smile. "You're evil," she told me.

"Am not," I retorted. "You asked, I answered."

She blew a raspberry down the phone then asked again, "What are you wearing?"

"A t-shirt and my pyjama pants," I replied honestly.

"I wish I was there," she said sadly.

"Me too." I chanced a look at the clock then. It was just after 11 – I'd been reading for a lot longer than I thought.

"I should let you go," she offered. "It's late there and you'll have a big day training Tanya again tomorrow." The vitriol in her voice was evident.

"Don't worry about Tanya – Embry will keep her in check," I assured her. "And we should probably say goodnight – I don't want you tired at work tomorrow either."

"I don't start till eight. That's not too bad," she told me.

"So I can talk to you again tomorrow night?" I asked, feeling like a little boy.

"Even I was working tomorrow night you could talk to me," she said tenderly. "Nights are usually fairly quiet unless there's an accident somewhere."

"I'll keep that in mind. Call me during the day tomorrow if you get a chance?" I couldn't believe that I was missing her voice already – she was still on the other end of the phone.

"I'll make time to call you – it's a priority." Once again I could hear the smile in her voice. "Now get to bed before you turn into a pumpkin!"

"Yes ma'am," I chuckled.

"Sleep tight baby," she cooed.

"You too – sweet dreams," I said back softly.

We said goodnight and I gently placed the receiver back in the charging dock. I stood and stretched and decided bed was a pretty good idea.

I quickly cleaned my teeth and then slid under the covers. I closed my eyes and saw Bella smiling at me. I smiled at the memory and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**A/N:** Everyone together now…awww. I decided to do an EPOV so you all knew that he's missing Bella as much as she's missing him…and he's definitely not screwing Tanya behind Bella's back. She's just his EA, and that's all she'll ever be. (Hope that clears things up!)

I'm not so sure I write well as Edward – I have no idea how the male psyche works so I don't know that he'd really be missing her as much as I hope he is…looking forward to your reviews!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** To all my readers, sorry I haven't updated in five days. I love getting a new chapter to you every two days but it was a crazy weekend.

Hopefully this chapter makes up for it though. You get Bella, a bit of Alice and Jasper, and an almost-but-not-quite lemon, and lots of Bella and Alice and Rosalie being, well, Bella, Alice and Rosalie. And it's long. You also get my promise that another chapter will be forthcoming shortly – maybe not tomorrow, and then again in two days – I'm trying to get back on track. 

Enjoy!

Chapter 21

After I hung up with Edward I decided to take a bath. I grabbed my bathrobe off the back of my door and then stuck my head into the living room where Alice and Jasper were watching one of the Harry Potter movies.

"I'm going to soak in the tub," I told them.

"Mmm hmm," Alice acknowledged me. Harry was on screen and no matter how indecent it was, Alice had a thing for him and had for years.

I shook my head, smiling, as I walked down the hallway to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and hung my bathrobe on a hook, then stuck the plug in and turned on the hot water. While the tub was filling I rummaged around under the sink and pulled out Alice's box of scented bubble baths. Yes, a box. There must have been forty different scents in there. I settled on lavender and chamomile, pouring a decent amount under the running water. I stuck my hand in the tub to test the temperature and turned the cold water on slightly.

I stripped out of my scrubs and t-shirt and threw them in a pile next to the door. I'd left my dirty clothes in the bathroom a grand total of once while Alice I lived together in college and they came back to me in little pieces. Note to self – Alice is a neat freak. I'd learnt from my mistake and had never done it again. My hair was still in its ponytail from work so I twisted it up in a bun on top of my head to keep it out of the bubbles then stepped into the tub.

I sat down in the scented water and turned off the taps when the bath was close to overflowing. I lay back and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths and letting my muscles relax. I thought back over the events of the day and couldn't help smiling now at the memory of the doctors and the laundry trolley. Jazz had laughed so hard over dinner when I'd recounted my unfortunate findings.

Dinner had been a pleasant surprise. I'd told Alice I'd cook for the three of us, but when I got home there was a fantastic smell coming from the kitchen. I knew it wasn't something I'd cooked and frozen, and it definitely wasn't Alice's cooking either. I walked in to find a collection of Thai food set out on the counter, ready for eating. Alice and Jasper were just filling three wine glasses when I walked in. The food had just been delivered so my timing was nothing short of perfect.

We ate in the kitchen and talked and laughed the whole time. Alice told us about the new designs she was working on. I knew it was her dream to one day run her own company but working at Victoria's Secret was a great place to get started. She jumped up and ran to her bag in the living room and was back in a flash with a number of fabric swatches in her hand. One was a gaudy turquoise colour, one was a black lace with red trimming, and one was a gorgeous midnight blue satin with a silver fleck through it. She gave me a knowing look and I told her, "The blue and silver one." Jasper looked confused and we just giggled.

Lying in the tub, I thought back to that small piece of fabric. I knew Alice had chosen these three as her choice for something for me to surprise Edward with. The black and red lace could be fun but that was also going to be a major confidence outfit – lace just isn't my thing. The turquoise was pretty but still not my colour. The midnight blue though was beautiful – the silver fleck was subtle but was pretty as well, and the fabric was beautiful and soft.

I lost myself in thoughts of Edward. I imagined myself arriving at his apartment unannounced and him opening the door in sweats and a baggy t-shirt, with his beautiful hair all crazy around his head. I could see the look on his face when he saw it was me – a big smile and a sparkle in those amazing green eyes. I could almost feel his arms around me as I pictured him pulling me into his arms and holding me close, like he was never going to let me go.

I let myself come slightly back to reality as I thought about my surprise visit in a couple of weeks. I planned on hitting the internet to find a nice restaurant to go to for dinner – I wanted to have the reservations made before I even arrived. I was also planning on just turning up at Edward's house. I knew he lived in a two bedroom townhouse that he was renting but I didn't know if he would want me to stay or not. I was hoping he would but I figured I should research some hotels in the area just in case.

When the water was starting to cool down and my skin was all wrinkly I pulled the plug out of the drain and stepped out onto the fluffy pink floor mat. _Alice and pink_, I thought to myself with a grin. I dried off and pulled on my bathrobe, cleaned my teeth and brushed my hair. I collected my dirty clothes from the floor and opened the door, turning out the light as I stepped into the hallway. There were no sounds of Harry Potter from the living room so I guessed Alice and Jasper were now in her room. I made to walk quickly past her room but noticed the door was open so I slowed down again. I dumped my dirty clothes in the hamper in my room and went out to make up some leftovers to take to work the next day.

The living room was deserted when I walked through, lit by the lamp next to the couch. I stuck my head into the dining room and it was empty too. I walked into the kitchen and saw a note on pink paper in the middle of the bench. I picked it up and unfolded it to see Alice's messy scrawl in the middle;

_Bella,_

_Have gone to spend the night at Jazz's. If you don't want to be in the house alone just give me a call and I'll come home._

_Alice._

I smiled at the caring tone in Alice's words. There was no way I was going to ruin her night with Jasper – he worked the same crazy hours I did so I was glad they could spend some time together. I pulled the half-empty boxes of Thai food out of the fridge and quickly made up a mixed container of my favourites. I stuck it all back in and turned out the light, heading back to my bedroom. I left the light in the living room on for comfort – something Alice and I normally did anyway.

I shot a quick glance at the clock and noted that it was almost 11pm – well and truly bed time. I grabbed a set of scrubs and a t-shirt out and laid them on my chair so I didn't have to get them in the morning, then set my alarm and climbed under the covers.

I snuggled down and reached under Edward's pillow for the t-shirt he had left for me. I took a deep breath and then hid it away again. I closed my eyes and saw his perfect white smile in front of me as I drifted off to a dream-filled sleep.

_I nervously rang the doorbell of the townhouse and waited. I heard footsteps on the other side and then the door opened. "Bella?" he asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I came to surprise you," I started hesitantly, motioning to the rental car sitting beside the gleaming silver Volvo in the driveway._

_He stepped forward and wrapped his strong arms around me then, crushing me against his chest as his mouth claimed mine roughly. He pulled me into his house and I kicked the door shut. He pressed me against the door and his hand slid to my waist, inching my shirt up over my head. He started placing hot kisses along my neck and out along my shoulders as I reached down to pull the baggy old t-shirt he was wearing off. His mouth left my shoulder as he helped me remove his shirt and then I was back against the door. His hands slid down to grab my butt and he lifted me effortlessly off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him, groaning at how aroused he was._

_He ground his hips up into me as I started whispering in his ear. I trailed my lips down his neck, licking and biting my way to his broad shoulders. He threw his head back as I sucked on the soft skin under his jaw and abruptly spun us around, moving us towards the fireplace on the far wall._

_He gently lay me down on the rug and starting kissing from the junction of my collarbones, through the valley between my breasts and downwards towards the waistband of my cargo pants. They were gone from my legs before I could blink, the fire warming my almost-bare skin. He slid back up my body and starting grinding against me. I slid my hands down and hooked my thumbs into the top of his grey sweats, running them around to the front to untie the cord. I slid my hand inside and was pleasantly surprised to find he wasn't wearing underwear. I started stroking him slowly and he responded by sliding his pants down his legs and kicking them off. I continued teasing him gently as he reached around my back and unclasped my bra. He removed it slowly and then lowered his head to my left nipple, teasing the right one with his finger and thumb. He switched back and forth as I arched into his touch, never releasing him from my grip. _

_He slid his free hand down and removed the rest of my underwear, tenderly sliding his hand between my legs on his return. He started stroking me where I needed it most and I quivered under his touch. He withdrew his fingers and pulled his erection from my hand, moving it to my centre. He slowly entered me and we rocked back and forth together, our fingers entwined next to my head. We gradually increased our speed, our breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps. I felt my release building and let go of his hands, tangling my fingers in his hair as I felt myself responding to his harder thrusts._

_We fell over the edge together and lay there. The heat of the fire combined with the heat of our lovemaking had left a fine layer of sweat coating our bodies. We lay together while our breathing and heart rates settled. Once we were calm, he wordlessly rose to his feet and reached his hand down to me, pulling me to him. He took my hand in his and lead to me to the…_

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"AARGH!" I screamed as my alarm interrupted my perfect dream. I was tempted to give it the hangover treatment and slap at it until it was quiet but instead I decided to act like a grown-up. I reached out and gently pressed the off button, then opened my eyes to a bright day. I stretched lazily and slowly sat up. I walked down to the kitchen and turned on the coffee dripper then jumped in the shower.

My mind kept replaying images from my dream, interspersed with memories of Edward's time here. I saw the fire in his house and us lying in front of it – I wasn't even sure if he had a fireplace. Then I saw us in the same shower I was in now – my legs around his waist as he held me under the shower head before slowly leaning me up against the tiles while we made love.

After spending far too long under the hot water I quickly dried off, wrapping myself in my towel and running back to the bedroom. I threw on my scrubs and t-shirt and stuck my feet in my work runners. I grabbed my towel off the bed and carried it to the kitchen with me where I poured a cup of coffee and made some toast. I ate quickly and tidied up, then took my towel back to the bathroom where I cleaned my teeth and wrestled with my hair. It wasn't going to go up, that was for sure, so I quickly braided it and secured all the loose bits with hair pins.

I grabbed my bag from the floor and fished my keys out of the basket and headed for lift. I was almost there when I realised my lunch was still in the fridge. I raced back down the hallway and let myself back in, grabbed my lunch, relocked the door and took off to the lift again.

I unlocked my truck and was just backing out of my parking space when the song playing was interrupted.

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news," the announcer said.

I reached down and turned up the volume as I pulled onto the street.

"Virginia Mason Hospital is in lockdown after a patient allegedly carrying a rare disease was operated on early this morning. Reports tell us that the ventilation system in the hospital has failed and noone is permitted to enter or leave the building. The severity of the outbreak has not yet been confirmed. Experts from the Centre for Disease Control are en route to the hospital. Stay tuned for more updates."

I pulled off to the side of the road in shock. Virginia Mason had the best ventilation system money could buy – we had the best reputation for disease control in the state. I quickly pulled out my cell phone and called the main administration number.

"Virginia Mason, Penny speaking. How may I direct your call?" came the voice down the line.

"Penny, it's doctor Isabella Swan calling, what's going on?" I asked.

"Doctor Swan, I'm going to have to put you through to the Head of Medicine, one moment please."

I listened to the hold music for a minute or two until Dr Johns came on the line.

"Doctor Swan? Doctor Johns here, what I can I do for you?" His gravelly baritone sounded tired.

"Doctor Johns, I just heard on the radio that we're in lockdown, what do I need to be doing?" This hadn't happened since I started at the hospital and I was at a loss.

"At this stage noone can come in or go out Doctor Swan," he told me. "My advice is to keep your phone on and we'll call you if you can come in today."

That didn't sound good. "Sir? How long does it look like lockdown will last for?"

He sighed. "At this stage we may not be able to let the day or mid shift staff in. We're hoping this will be under control by the time the afternoon shift can start, but we have to wait for the CDC."

"I understand sir. If there's anything that I can do, please let me know," I told him honestly. We hung up then and I had no idea what to do with myself. Unscheduled days off weren't something I had experience with. It was only 7:45 so I knew Alice wouldn't be at work yet. Hell, she stayed at Jasper's last night so she was probably only just getting out of bed.

I thought maybe I could go visit her and Rosalie at work but Alice didn't start until 8:30 and Rose went in when they needed her – there was no guarantee she'd even be at the office today. I decided to drop by Jacob's and get a coffee and a newspaper and sit in the park.

I pulled into a space around the corner from the coffee shop and walked around to the front entrance.

"Hey Doc!" I heard someone shout from across the store.

I looked up and saw Jane smiling at me from behind the register. Petite and blonde, Jane had been working at Jacob's as long as I'd been coming here. I grabbed the local paper from the stand to the left of the door and walked over to the counter.

"On your way to work?" she asked with a smile as I put the newspaper down.

"I was," I told her, "until I heard about the lockdown on the radio."

"Bella!" Jacob boomed as he came out of the kitchen with a tray of fresh-baked muffins. He slid them into the display and then turned to me. "What's my favourite doctor having this morning?"

"A lockdown at the hospital," I said. I quickly explained what I'd heard on the radio, not telling them what Dr Johns had told me.

"That's awful," Jane gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Is it serious?"

"I don't know what the disease is, or how far around the hospital it spread," I explained. "We have to wait for the guys from the CDC to do all their checks."

I was interrupted by my phone ringing. _Edward_, the screen flashed.

"'Scuse me, I need to take this," I apologised to Jane and Jacob as I moved over towards the windows.

"Hello?" I said with a smile.

"Bella? Are you ok? I just heard about the lockdown on the news…" Edward sounded so worried.

"I'm ok," I assured him. "I wasn't there when it happened and we can't go into the building now so there's no risk."

"What about Jasper?" he asked, sounding less worried but still concerned.

"He's ok too – he has today off. We're all ok, you don't need to worry." I couldn't help smiling at his fretting.

"I just wanted to make sure," he went on. "The news reports were vague and I couldn't remember what time you were starting this morning."

"It looks like I'm not going to start at all today," I said quietly, not wanting Jane and Jacob to overhear. "I spoke to the Head of Medicine this morning and it looks like people won't be going in for a while."

"Well, enjoy your extra day off then!" he told me. I pictured his gorgeous smile as he continued, "I have to go into a meeting in 5 but I'll call you tonight when I get home?"

"Sounds good – I'll talk to you then. Bye!"

I put my phone back in my bag and walked back over to the counter. Jacob had disappeared again and Jane commented, "That must have been some phone call Bella, you're grinning like the Cheshire cat!"

I explained about Edward and how sweet he was while she made me a tall flat white. I paid for the coffee and newspaper and then decided to call Alice and see if I could bring her anything.

"Design, Alice speaking," she answered, sounding like she was trying not to giggle.

"Morning sunshine, what's so funny?" I asked.

"Bella! You're not locked down! See Rose, I told you she'd be ok." So Rose was at work too then. Excellent.

"No Al, I'm not locked down. I also can't go to work so I came to Jacob's for a coffee. Did you want me to get you and Rosalie something? I was thinking I'd come visit," I offered.

"I'll have a tall cappuccino on skim please," she giggled again, "and Rosalie will have a tall double shot mocha and a chocolate muffin."

"Rosalie doesn't drink coffee," I said, confused. Rose had cut coffee from her diet when she got the modelling job because she read it made you bloat.

"She does this morning," Alice giggled again. "Emmett got her more than a little drunk last night and she's not so healthy this morning."

I laughed along with Alice and promised to bring coffee and muffins. I hung up and turned back to Jane, relaying Alice and Rosalie's orders for coffee and a chocolate muffin. I also ordered an apple and cinnamon muffin for Alice and a white chocolate and caramel one for me.

Five minutes later I carefully loaded the coffees and muffins into the passenger seat of my truck and headed to Victoria's Secret.

Alice was waiting in the foyer for me and signed me in as a visitor before whisking me away to her office. I walked in and couldn't help snickering at Rosalie. Her hair was as perfect as always but she had rings under her eyes and her face was pale.

"Coffee Rose?" I offered.

"Mmm," she moaned. "I miss coffee. Gimme!"

I smiled at her as I passed her coffee over. Alice tore open the bag of muffins and handed them out. We sat and ate in silence for a few minutes before they started asking me questions about the lockdown at the hospital. I told them what I knew, including my conversation with Dr Johns.

"So you're probably not going to be working today then?" Alice asked with the evil twinkle in her eye.

"More than likely," I said slowly. "Why?"

"Well, you picked a fabric last night…and the boss is out of town this week…and Rosalie has no shoots today…how about we start making you something fabulous?" she suggested.

I couldn't disappoint her and a day with the girls sounded good…even if I was in my scrubs. "Sounds perfect," I told her.

"Yay!" she squealed, jumping out of her chair and hugging me. "Rose, if you feel up to it, can you please go to our apartment and get Bella some jeans or something? I can start taking measurements and then we can start designing something!"

I rolled my eyes but I was secretly excited too see what Alice was going to come up with. I was normally a plain cotton girl, with maybe a few bright colours thrown in. Alice occasionally bought me stuff but this was going to be the first time I let her go wild.

We finished our coffee and muffins and I handed my keys over to Rose. Once she left, Alice declared, "You! Into the change room and strip down to your underwear!"

I stepped into the large cubicle and untied my runners, stuffing my socks inside once they were off. I took off my scrubs and folded them, thinking I could wear them the next day. Last off was my t-shirt. "Ok Alice, I'm ready!" I announced.

She threw a plush pink robe (what else?) over the door and I wrapped myself in it before unlocking the door and stepping out.

Alice motioned me over to a step so I climbed up and stood still while she made her measurements. I understood why she was doing my bust, waist and hips but didn't get why she was measuring my leg length and the distance between my boobs and hips.

"Alice?" I asked. "What exactly are you making for me?"

"A whole set, of course!" she replied. "You're inspiring my new design. I'm calling it 'Seduce' and it's going to come in different colours. The blue you picked is going to be called 'Bella', I'm going to make a red called 'Rose' and a few other colours."

I loved the idea and told her so. "What does the company think?" I wondered aloud.

"That's the thing…" she said. "The company doesn't know. I've decided I don't want to work for the old hag any more and I'm going out on my own. This is going to be my signature range. Rosalie has built up enough contacts to be able to get jobs away from here, and I have contacts for fabric and stuff until I get up and running."

Wow – Alice's dream was so close! And my relationship with Edward was her starting place. "That's so exciting Al!" I congratulated her. "But is it such a good idea to be doing this here when it's not going to be their design?"

She scoffed. "The amount of new designs I've pumped out for them since I started here should last them till next season. When Victoria comes back on Monday next week, my two weeks' notice will be on her desk…along with Rosalie's!"

"Where are you going to work from?" There just wasn't enough room in our apartment.

"Jasper has offered me his spare room, and so have Rose and Emmett. Since they're in the same building, I think I'm going to use Jasper's as my sewing room, and just use Rosalie's for storage for now. Once I'm up and running I'll look at leasing some space somewhere…" she trailed off with a twinkle in her eye.

"You'll be great," I assured her. "And if you keep finding material like you picked for me, you'll be a hit!"

"Thanks Bells," she replied. One more measurement and then, "Ok, you're done. You can wrap up again but don't get dressed – I want to try some straps and stuff."

Rosalie came back about half an hour later with jeans and a shirt and jacket, along with shoes for me. Alice was just about done with her first prototype, as she was calling it, when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Doctor Swan, it's Doctor Johns," the gravelly voice came down the line. "I'm calling to update you on the situation at the hospital. The CDC have done their base level investigation and have quarantined the area for at least 24 hours."

"That's awful sir!" I was shocked. I had no idea who was working and was immediately concerned for my colleagues as well as the patients.

"It is indeed," he replied. "No staff or visitors will be permitted to enter or leave the building until at least 12pm tomorrow. If the situation has not improved someone will contact you again then."

"Is there anything people can do?" Even it was something like giving blood I'd do it.

"At this stage there's nothing. If something comes up we'll get it out to the public through the news broadcasts." He sounded even more tired than he had earlier in the day.

"Yes sir. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow," I said as we hung up.

"Still not going in?" Rosalie asked.

"Not until at least 12 tomorrow," I told them. We chatted for a few minutes about how awful it was, then Alice reminded me that meant I had a free day for the rest of today.

"Now go try this on," she said, throwing a flimsy bra to me. I gaped at the lack of material in my hands. "It's just a test run to check the sizing," she told me. "That's just cheap cotton, nothing like what the finished product will feel like."

I tried it on and the fit was amazing – I could tell straight away it was a custom fit by the way it hugged me in all the right spots. Alice squealed when she saw how well it fit and then I was directed to take it off again.

We repeated the process forty minutes later with a bikini brief, a g-string and pair of boyshorts. After a few tucks and snips Alice was happy with the morning's work and I was allowed to get dressed so we could go out for lunch.

We ate at a nearby café and the meals were fantastic. I had a toasted BLT with fries on the side, Alice had a turkey and cranberry foccacia and Rosalie had the all-day breakfast. After we were all stuffed we headed back to Alice's office.

Throughout the afternoon she whipped up a camisole and a nightgown for me to try on, telling me the camisole would have a little bit of silver lace and silver straps, and the nightgown would be entirely silver satin.

At 5 on the dot she stuffed it all in her over-sized bag to play with at home. We walked out into the foyer and Jasper was leaning against a pillar waiting for her.

"Ladies," he drawled. Jasper lived in Texas for a grand total of nine months when he was four, and did the worst Texan accent imaginable, but it still made Alice swoon.

"Jazzy!" she squealed, running across the foyer to plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Rosalie and I both made the gagging noise and received a death stare in return from Alice.

"We're going to get something to eat…you guys wanna…" she trailed off, staring out the window.

"Emmett drives a Jeep!" Alice and Rose chorused at the same time.

"Huh? What's that got to do with food?" I asked, confused.

"It drives Emmett nuts," Rosalie explained as we walked over to join Alice and Jasper near the windows. "When he bought his Jeep, he was so excited he kept telling people. So now when a Jeep drives past, I shout 'Emmett drives a Jeep' just to annoy him…but it's so common now I do it when he's not around."

I laughed at Rose's little game. Emmett's Jeep Wrangler was his pride and joy – no wonder he got annoyed at people making fun of it.

"I'll have to remember that!" I said once I stopped laughing.

"So anyway," Alice picked up where she'd left off, "Jazz and I are going to get something to eat. Did you gals wanna come?"

"Emmett's cooking tonight," Rosalie told us with a fake scared expression on her face. "He didn't have any clients this afternoon so he wanted to cook for me."

"That's sweet Rose," I told her, thinking about cooking for Edward again. "I think I'll pass too guys, I wanted to go get some groceries and have an early night so I can nap tomorrow before work."

We all said our goodbyes and headed to our cars. I stopped off to grab a few things to make dinner for myself and walked in the front door just as the phone stopped ringing.

"Alice, this is your mother." I smiled as Esme's voice came through the speaker on the answering machine. "Your father and I are planning on coming to Seattle in around two weeks and we'd like to have dinner with you and Emmett. Call me back to let me know when you're free. Love you!"

Esme was really sweet. She and Carlisle were currently living in Utah. Carlisle was one of the most highly respected neurosurgeons in the country and had been called in to consult on a case three months earlier. They'd decided to keep their house in Olympia and found a nice place to rent while Carlisle was working. Emmett drove down every second weekend to check the Olympia house was still standing and the neighbours were collecting the mail. I knew Alice would be over the moon that her parents were coming to visit. She was so used to them only being a couple of hours away in heavy traffic, and having them in another state was awful for her.

I was just getting dinner on when my cell rang. "Hello?" I answered.

"Bella! I have some news!" It was Rosalie.

"Really? What?" I was hoping Emmett had finally proposed.

"Carlisle and Esme are coming to visit!" Rosalie loved Emmett's parents dearly – she had lost her own parents in an accident when she was 16.

"Really? I had no idea!" I couldn't hold in the giggle.

"They already called Alice, huh?" She knew me only too well.

"Yep. We should plan something for when they're here – maybe even convince Edward to come visit!" I was thrilled with that thought. "Do you know exactly when they're coming?"

"They're arriving on the third and going back on the sixth," she told me. "We should do some sort of fourth of July shindig."

I quickly looked at my roster on the fridge. "Argh! I'm working every single day that they're here! But I'm on days so at least I'll be around in the evenings. We could do a dinner?"

"Where do we have that's big enough for eight people though?" Rosalie mused.

"Tell you what, you find the space and I'll do the food," I said. "And I'll talk to Edward tonight."

"It's a date! Gotta go, Emmett says dinner's ready…" Rosalie sounded less than enthused.

"You'll survive," I told her as we hung up.

_Hmmm…_I mused to myself. _Dinner with the boyfriend's parents…_


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Ok. I want to make it clear here that planning things around the 4th of July is coincidental, and I'm not plagiarising "Black and White". Edward can only sit the Washington bar in late July (or so the internet tells me!!!!) so that's where my timeframe has taken me. Again, being Australian I don't get how big the 4th is, hopefully I end up doing it justice! (That's still a couple of chapters away though.) This time round you get a big chunk of Edward again…part of this is not for the faint of heart!

Happy reading!

Chapter 22

EPOV

I was just getting out of my car in the garage when I heard my mother's voice coming from my answering machine inside the house.

"Edward, it's your mother. We're heading to Seattle for the weekend of the fourth and would love to see all of you in one place. I've left messages with Alice and Emmett, hopefully we can sort something out. We love you."

I placed my briefcase next to my armchair and replayed her message. Smiling, I thought how nice it would be to have my whole family together. A family that included Rosalie, Jasper and now Bella. My smile grew wider at the thought of having a weekend with her.

As if she was reading my thoughts, my phone rang again.

"Hello?" I answered before it had even rung once.

"Geez, were you sitting next to the phone or something?" she teased.

"Nope, still standing," I joked back. "How was your day?"

"It was actually really great." I could hear the happiness in her voice. "I ended up spending the whole day with Alice and Rosalie…"

I listened as Bella told me about Alice's plans to start her own business soon and how excited they all were.

"…and she's got her first range ready to go and it's inspired by…oops!" she giggled.

"It's inspired by what?" I asked, guessing where she had been going. "Us?"

"No, her and Jasper," Bella blurted quickly. I could almost feel her blushing through the phone. _What are those two up to?_ I thought. I decided to let it go for now.

"Ok," I told her. "Hey, I just missed a call from mum and she wants me to come to Seattle the weekend of the fourth 'cause they'll be in town. How does that sit with you?"

"Rosalie and I were just discussing that actually," she said. "I have days that whole weekend so I'm free in the evenings, we were thinking maybe we could organise a dinner or something. We just need to find the space."

"I know it's lame, but how about the park?" I suggested. "We could all go down there on the Friday night for a picnic dinner and watch the fireworks?"

"Oh Edward, that's brilliant!" she gushed. "I was going to cook for everyone and a picnic makes things easier. And our park is the best place to see the fireworks from – Alice and I went there last year."

"_Our _park?" I liked the sound of that.

"Well, it's where we went." She sounded flustered. "It's silly, forget I said it."

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be able to wrap my arms around her and tell her it was ok. "I'm not forgetting anything. I love that you're thinking of something as ours. I might be in a different state to you right now but if you can go there and think of me then that makes me happy."

"I miss you," she sighed.

"I miss you too," I replied. "But since I'm coming for the fourth…"

"You're coming? You only just found out about it!" She sounded shocked.

"Of course I'm coming! Like I'd pass up an opportunity to see you…or my family," I added as an afterthought. "Now, as I was saying, since I'm coming for the fourth, that's only two weeks away!"

She muttered something under her breath that I didn't catch then. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed. "Didn't say a word.

I didn't believe her for a second and told her so. She denied it again so I let it pass.

"Are you going back to work tomorrow?" I asked.

"I still haven't heard anything. The last I heard from the hospital was that people wouldn't be going in or coming out until noon tomorrow at the earliest. I've got the graveyard shift tomorrow so I'm not due in till eight tomorrow night…" she trailed off.

"So you still don't know what it is?" I was worried about her going back in if it wasn't safe.

"There's been nothing on the news about the contaminant, all I've heard is some patient had it and it got into the ventilation system when they were operated on," she told me, sounding all clinical.

Even though we were talking about something so serious, hearing Bella using her doctor voice was turning me on. "Bella, I love it when you use your doctor voice," I told her, my voice much deeper than usual.

I heard her catch her breath on the other end of the line. "And why is that?" she asked, still all professional.

_She's playing along,_ I thought with a grin. I decided to just go for it. "Doctor Swan, I seem to have a slight problem. I was hoping for your advice."

"Oh dear, a problem? Can you describe the symptoms to me? Are they similar to the symptoms you were exhibiting last time we spoke?" I knew she was referring to the morning she rode me in her bed. Just the thought of her doing that again made me harder than I already was.

"Yes doctor, they're similar," I told her. "There's the same level of swelling, and my hands are all fidgety again, like they're looking for something to…grope." I let my voice drop even lower on the last word.

"Well Mr Cullen, it seems you may have a recurring condition. Am I correct in recalling that my alternative treatment was successful in relieving the tension last time?" She stressed the 'suck' part of the word successful and I moaned aloud.

"Oh dear, you do sound as though you're experiencing some extreme discomfort," she analysed. "May I ask what clothing you're wearing?"

_Oh fuck I like where this going_. I almost said it aloud but kept it in. "I'm still in my suit from work doctor. I removed my jacket and tie when I arrived home but my pants, belt and shirt are still on."

"My initial recommendation would be to remove your belt and loosen your trousers, Mr Cullen," Bella directed. "Could you do that and let me know how you feel?"

I quickly undid my belt with one hand and undid the button and zip on my tailored pants, letting them drop to the ground. I quickly kicked off my shoes and pulled of my socks. It was my turn to tease now. "Should I also remove my underwear, doctor?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Has the swelling subsided?" she enquired.

"No doctor, in fact, the swelling is still there and I'm feeling a throbbing sensation," I replied, starting to feel short of breath.

"The throbbing could be a result of your shirt being too tight, restricting blood flow to your lower…limbs." She came close to losing her demeanour on that one. "You should probably remove it before your underwear."

I worked on the buttons on my shirt, sliding it off my shoulders and letting it fall on top of my discard pants. I couldn't believe I was now standing in my living room in nothing but my boxers. "My shirt is gone now," I informed her, "but the swelling and the throbbing aren't getting any better."

"Perhaps you should remove your underwear as well," she suggested.

I moaned aloud as I removed my boxers, the material grazing my erection on the way down.

"Are you all right, Mr Cullen? Is the pain increasing?" I could hear her struggling to stay in character.

"The swelling is making the area incredibly sensitive, is there anything you can suggest?" I pleaded, trying to make her crack.

"There is one solution I can think of…" she trailed off suggestively.

I decided to beg. "Anything, doctor, I'll do anything!"

I heard her snort on the other end of the phone. I wasn't in any fit state to tease her now. I needed real relief and I was hoping she was going to talk me through it. I'd never done anything like this but it just felt so right with Bella.

"Edward?" she asked, the doctor façade gone.

"Bella?" I replied.

"Are we about to have phone sex?" She sounded so meek.

"Well, lil' Eddie is certainly hoping so. I _am_ naked in my living room with a raging hard on, after all…" _Wow, smooth,_ I berated myself.

"Hmmm…there's a pleasant picture. Would I make things _harder_ if I told you I was home alone and naked on my bed?" she teased.

That was where I lost it. "Holy fuck! Are you serious?" Lil' Eddie twitched at the mere thought of Bella, naked and sprawled out on her bed.

"Mmm hmm…" she purred down the phone. "Just the thought of you being naked and hard was making me wet, so I thought I'd get naked too."

Where was this confidence coming from? I decided I didn't care. "Talk to me Bella," I demanded. "I'm sitting here in my recliner, slowly stroking myself while I think of you naked on your bed…tell me what you're doing."

Her moan made me twitch again as I really did start stroking myself in my recliner. I closed my eyes and laid my head back as I imagined Bella's skilled hands in place of my own.

"I…I'm not sure I can do this," she stammered suddenly. "I mean, I _want_ to, but I…I…I just don't think I can."

I heard the rustling of sheets on the other end of the phone and kept my eyes closed, still picturing her in the bed. I was feeling so good at that point but I also didn't want to upset her.

"Bella, it's ok," I told her, releasing my grip on myself and grabbing my shirt off the floor, laying it across my lap. "You were just turning me on so much, I kind of lost it for a minute. I've never done anything like this before...God I can't wait till we're together again!"

"Me either," she said softly. "It's only two weeks, surely we can last till then."

I was about to reply when my doorbell sounded.

"Are you expecting someone?" Bella asked.

"No, I'm not…can I call you back?" I felt rotten to be doing this to her.

"Of course." I could hear her smiling down the phone.

We quickly said goodbye and I yanked my pants on without my underwear and threw my shirt on without doing up the buttons. The bell rang again and I shouted, "I'll be there in a sec!" as I stuffed my underwear in one of my shoes.

I ran to the door and wrenched it open. "Tanya? What are you doing here?" _Why the fuck is my assistant standing on my doorstep?_ I thought to myself.

"You left some papers on your desk, Mr Cullen, about the Washington bar exam…I thought they might be important so I decided to drop them off on my way home," she told me.

It all sounded innocent enough but I knew she was renting a dumpy little place on the other side of town. I couldn't help smiling at the thought of getting out of here sooner rather than later. I suddenly realised she was staring at my open shirt with parted lips and a slight smirk on her face.

"Well, thank you for dropping those papers off, Tanya, I really appreciate it since I'm so far out of your way," I said, reaching for the papers in her hand.

"No problem," she replied blankly.

I don't normally like being a bastard but she needed to get the point. "Thanks again Tanya, I'll see you at the office in the morning." I stepped back and closed the door, making sure it locked. I held my laughter in until I got back to the living room and then roared until my sides hurt. I grabbed up the phone and called Embry, relaying the latest adventure with his replacement.

After we hung up, I quickly showered. _No need for a cold shower,_ I thought as the warm water ran down my body. _Tanya made sure I wasn't excited anymore._

I dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and threw a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner. While it was cooking I called Bella back and told her about Tanya's visit.

"You're kidding right?" she almost yelled when I got to the part about her staring at my body. "I'm going to fly over there tonight and kick her skanky head in!"

"It's ok Bella," I said calmly, "she works for me and thought she was doing the right thing. The bar exam is being held the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after the fourth so you'll have me from the Friday until the Wednesday."

"Really? You'll be here for that long?" Her anger at Tanya was completely gone.

"Yep. And I'm going to look for somewhere to live while I'm there. I don't care if I don't get the hospital job, Bella. I want to move to Seattle to be with you." _Open mouth, insert foot_, I berated myself. I was crazy about her and wanted to be with her, but now I was scared she'd think I was just crazy.

"You're going to move here even if you don't have a job?" I wasn't sure if she was excited or not. "Are you sure?"

I'd already blurted out that I wanted to be with her, might as well go the whole hog. "I've had enough of Chicago. I need a change and I need to be closer to you. I know that sounds crazy since we barely know each other but it just doesn't feel right, being this far apart."

"It's hard being away from you," she admitted, "and I'd love to have you in Seattle…but are you sure?"

"Are you always so hesitant about things Bella, or is it just me?" I wanted to be sure.

"I'm always _cautious_," she corrected. "I know we barely know each other but I also know that our relationship isn't going to be anything spectacular with us so far apart. The thought of seeing you every day instead of just speaking to you makes me want to jump around like a little kid. You make me happy."

I smiled at the evident enthusiasm in her voice. "You make me happy too," I told her. "What are you having for dinner?"

"Dinner? That's a slightly different conversation to the one we had before!" she teased.

"Just a little," I conceded. "I'm waiting for a frozen pizza to heat up and thought about how awesome your cooking is…"

She giggled at that. "Well, I had a fairly big lunch so I'm just having some soup – it's simmering now. Alice is out with Jasper so I'm all on my onesies."

"Onesies?" I mocked her.

"Bite me," she shot back. "It's something my dad says. Hang on, you're only just having dinner now? It's almost 9 o'clock there!"

"The life of a lawyer," I intoned seriously. "It's late, but I'm trying to get a lot of stuff tied up so it doesn't take as long when the move starts to happen. It's not that uncommon for me to get home this late."

"Just make sure you look after yourself, ok?" she said, just as my oven timer went off. "Is that your pizza?"

"Yep." I walked into the kitchen and turned off the timer. "I guess I better go eat."

"Ok. I'll call you tomorrow when I find out about the hospital?" Bella offered.

"Sounds good to me. Be safe," I replied softly.

"You too. Bye."

We hung up and I sat down to my uninteresting pizza, looking forward more than ever to being with Bella. Even frozen pizza would be interesting if I had her to eat it with.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Ok, I've been slack and haven't posted for a couple of days again. I'm sorry. I've used Google to reference a few bits and pieces around Chicago, so hopefully I'm accurate!

Happy reading!

Chapter 23

I hung up with Edward and danced around my room, smiling to myself. I heard the front door open, followed by Alice's tinkly laugh and Jasper's corny guffaw. My smile grew as I walked out to spend some time with my two best friends.

"Judging by that grin, I'd say you've been talking to Edward," Jasper teased with a smile.

"Yep," I told them. "He's coming for the fourth and he's staying till the ninth. He's going to sit the bar exam and look for somewhere to live."

"He's moving?" Alice squealed. She raced over and grabbed me in a hug, then held my hands and made me jump around in a circle with her.

Once I caught my breath we sat down in the living room and I filled them in on my conversation with Edward. "He wants to move regardless of whether he gets the job at the hospital or not. He has to pass the bar here so he can practice and it's being held next month, so he's going to visit for a bit and look for a place while he's here…" I trailed off with another stupid grin.

"I think it's great Bella," Jasper said honestly. "That apartment in my building is going to be available as of next Monday, I can get you the info to pass on if you like?"

"That would be great Jazz, thanks." He really is a great friend. While we were in med school we shared one of the small dorm apartments to save on costs. He and Alice had met then but she was with a guy named James and Jasper was too focused on his studies to be looking at girls. When we finished school and Alice and I decided to get a place together, I floated the idea of Jazz living with us but she wasn't sure about living with a guy. He ended up finding a place closer to the city than us, in the same building as Emmett and Rosalie.

"How big is it? Is it like yours?" Alice asked.

"Yep, my floor is all two bedroom, I think that one is a bit bigger though because it's on the end," Jasper told us. His apartment was nice and homey. The kitchen was fairly small but he had a couple of stools at the bench. There was a combined living and dining room where he had a small dining table pushed up against the wall. The main bedroom was fairly big with a walk-in wardrobe and a view of the street, and the second bedroom was a bit smaller. It was set up as a study but I knew Alice would take over with her sewing stuff pretty soon. The bathroom was a decent size with an over-bath shower and a small vanity. There was no laundry and Jasper had a phobia of using communal washing machines so he used ours. I didn't really mind – between the two of us we could do a full load of scrubs. And in return, he did most of our ironing for us – something Alice and I both avoided like the plague.

I tuned out their conversation for a few minutes while I pictured how Edward would set up his place. I was brought back to reality by Alice snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Earth to Bella!" she giggled. "I was saying something in the kitchen smells good – is there enough for us?"

"My soup!" I jumped up and ran into the kitchen. My soup was still simmering away so I turned it down and quickly made some toast. I ladled soup into three bowls and called Alice and Jasper into the kitchen.

"Smells good Bells…what is it?" Jasper asked. He wasn't being rude, just curious.

"It's spicy Thai pumpkin…the one with the peppers in it," I told him as I took a taste.

"It's perfect Bella!" Alice told me. "Is there going to be enough for leftovers?"

"Isn't there always?" I teased her. "And there's still Thai food in the fridge from the other night…Shit!"

"What's wrong?" they asked together as I jumped up and ran into the living room where I'd left my bag.

I walked back into the kitchen with the container of leftovers I'd packed for lunch and not eaten. "I forgot I packed lunch this morning when I ate with you guys," I said to Alice. "I'm thinking it's not going to be real healthy any more!"

I quickly tipped it into the rubbish and rinsed the container before putting it in the dishwasher. I sat back down and kept eating my soup as Alice filled Jasper and me in on her plans for her business.

"I'm going to keep it simple, call it 'AC Design'. The stuff I was working on today is going to be my launch range and Rosalie is going to be my promo model. I won't be able to pay her much at first but she's going to keep working in other places, just not for underwear companies."

"Maybe Edward can draw you up some sort of contract?" Jasper suggested. Alice looked horrified so he quickly went on, "I know she's your friend, and you trust her, but I just want you to be careful."

"I don't think she'd object, Al. I mean, she's got a contract at Victoria's right? Which reminds me, how's she getting out of that?" I wondered aloud.

"Easy! She only signed on for six months initially, they've got no rights to her in exactly ten days!" Alice said gleefully. "And she's already spoken to Emmett about it, he's making enough that she doesn't need to be working, her money is just a bonus for them."

"So tell me about this range," Jasper prompted. "Will I get to test drive it?"

"Ew!" I yelped. "I don't wanna know!"

Alice giggled and then said, "No, Jazz, you don't get to test drive it…Edward does! Bella has inspired me!"

She gave Jasper the spiel she'd given Rose and I earlier in the day.

"So you're calling it 'Seduce' because Bella wants to seduce Edward? And you're calling the set 'Bella'? Don't you think it's a bit obvious?" He looked confused.

"Silly Jasper, Bella means beautiful!" Alice rolled her eyes. "At least, that's the marketing plan! Rosalie has asked for a red and black set too with some lace on it, so I'm calling that one 'Rose'."

"And I don't want to seduce Edward," I muttered under my breath.

"Sure you do!" Alice corrected me. "That's why I'm going to have your set finished by the time you go to Chicago next weekend!"

"You're going to Chicago? Does Edward know?" Jasper sounded surprised.

"I want to surprise him," I said, my cheeks going red. "I have to work next Saturday so I've booked a late flight, I fly out of here at eight o'clock. Then I'm flying back late on the Wednesday so I can work on the Thursday."

"And then Edward arrives on the Friday!" Alice finished for me. "It's all just too perfect."

"Have you found somewhere to stay on the Saturday night, or are you going to turn up to Edward's late?" Jasper asked the question I hadn't even answered to myself.

"I think I'll book a hotel, at least for the Saturday night," I decided out loud. "Then I can surprise him on Sunday, and if he doesn't want me to stay with him I'll just book a room for the rest of my stay."

Jasper stood and collected our now-empty bowls, rinsed them and placed them in the dishwasher. "You should have a look for places tonight Bella, a lot of places don't take short bookings for a late check-in," he advised.

"Good plan, and we'll find somewhere for you to take him to dinner too!" Alice chirped.

"I guess that's my cue to leave," Jasper teased. "Thanks for dinner Bella!"

"Wait a sec, you guys went out for dinner! That's what you said when you met us at Victoria's!" So why had they both just eaten soup?

Alice blushed and looked at her feet. _Wait, Alice never blushed. What's going on?_ I asked myself.

"Well, we kind of went back to Jasper's…and didn't make it to dinner," she mumbled.

"Too much information!" I blurted loudly. "I'm going to go find a place to stay in Chicago. Night Jazz!"

I went into my bedroom and turned on my laptop, sitting on the floor with my back against Edward's side of the bed. I loaded Google and typed in 'accommodation Chicago' just as Alice came in.

"Find somewhere nice?" she asked as she sat next to me.

"Not yet." We looked at the different hotels and I eventually settled on the Intercontinental. "What?" I asked as Alice's eyes bugged out of her head.

"It's expensive, is what," she retorted.

"Hopefully I'll only be there one night, and I haven't spoiled myself in ages," I told her. "Maybe I'll book two nights, and Edward can join me there Sunday night after dinner in one of the restaurants?"

"That sounds perfect Bella!" Alice was suddenly swayed. "You should get a room with an in-room spa."

I smiled at that and made the booking, charging it to my seldom-used credit card. "Done!"

"Ooh! I just had a thought…I should make Edward a pair of boxers to sleep in that match your range!" I could almost see the lightbulb go on over Alice's head. "I'll have to call mum and find out what size underwear she bought him at Christmas last year…that'll give me something to go by…"

"You're crazy, but I think it's a great idea," I told her as she bounced up off the floor. She offered me her hand and pulled me to my feet. I put my laptop on the bed and followed Alice out to the living room, where she pulled her prototypes out of her bag.

"Stay here," she commanded me as she raced to her bedroom.

She was back in a flash with a bolt of the blue and silver fabric she'd picked for me, along with a bag full of bits and pieces. "Can I set up my sewing machine on the dining table?" she asked.

"I don't see why not," I replied.

Ten minutes later the machine was set up and Alice was cutting out what looked like the camisole pieces. "Bella, in that bag there's another bag with some silver lacy material in it, can you get it for me please?"

I dug around in the bag and found the smaller bag. The silver lace was beautiful. I handed it over and Alice expertly pinned it to the front of the camisole she'd pinned together. "Come here for a sec, I want to see if it's the right size."

I walked over to her and stood still while she held it up. It was amazing how she worked – so quickly but so precisely. "I'm going to go and sew this together, then you're going to try it on so I can hem it properly. Don't go anywhere!" she warned.

I sat down and shot a glance at the clock. It was almost 10pm but I didn't mind. I didn't have to work until late the following evening so I'd sit up with Alice while she tinkered, then get up early and then have a nap before work the next day.

Ten minutes later Alice came back in and threw the almost-complete camisole to me. "Go try it on, wear a t-shirt bra under it so I can see if I need to pad yours or not."

I did as I was told and loved the way it felt on my skin. Alice had sewn a thin satin lining into it so it didn't cling to my skin, but moved with me when I walked.

"It's perfect!" she squeaked as I walked back into the living room. "Turn around."

I did a little turn on the spot and ended up facing her with a big smile on my face. "I love it!" I told her.

"Stand still," Alice directed as she came at me with a mouthful of pins. She quickly hemmed it so it rested just above my jeans. "Ok, take it off, be careful not to stab yourself!"

I quickly changed again and took it to her. She was on the floor in the living room again, working on the nightgown. The silver satin was beautiful – it looked like it was almost liquid, the way it flowed over the floor. I sat on the couch as watched while Alice worked. Not realising it myself, I let out a yawn.

"Go to bed Bella, I'll leave you a surprise for in the morning," Alice laughed as she jumped up with a pinned-together nightgown in her hands.

"Yes mother," I teased as I gave her a quick hug before heading to my room. I feel asleep to the humming of Alice's sewing machine to dreams of Edward in silver satin boxers.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Ok folks, since the site has started letting people in I'm going to give you two in one day since they're ready and it's been delayed. I'll try and get back to the every-two-days thing again now, I promise!

Happy reading!

Chapter 24

I stirred when I heard Alice get in the shower the next morning and again when I heard her leave, but I managed to sleep until 10am when my phone rang.

"'lo?" I mumbled when I finally got a grip on it.

"Bella? Are you awake?" Jasper's teasing voice came down the line.

I grunted in response then slurred out, "I think so. What time is it?"

He laughed and replied, "It's just past ten. You've got the graveyard tonight, right?"

"Mmm hmm." Why was he waking me up if he knew I had the graveyard?

"Well, how about we go to lunch? It's been ages since you and I had some us time." He sounded almost sad.

"Ok," I agreed. "Pick me up at 12?"

"See you then…and don't go back to sleep!" he joked before hanging up.

I threw my phone onto the other side of the bed as I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Jasper was right about the us time thing. We'd been inseparable since we were little. Going to different colleges had been difficult but it had been a good experience for both of us. Neither of us had dated much in high school and everyone kind of just assumed that we were together. Jasper was more like my brother than anything else – yes, he was hot, but I'd never felt anything for him. We'd both dated during college, my relationships always ended fast because my studies were important, Jasper's tended to last a bit longer because he made the effort.

Living together during med school had been wonderful – we both had the same classes and we just knew each other so well. I hadn't dated at all during med school aside from the odd coffee or drink here and there, and Jasper was totally focused on being the best – he just didn't notice girls.

After med school when I moved in with Alice I felt bad for him, but he was happy being his own person. He could play his guitar at all hours without disturbing anyone and his apartment reflected his personality perfectly. We'd hung out a lot and I guess it was inevitable that he and Alice would eventually notice each other.

As I dragged myself off to the shower I thought back to the day Alice had asked me about Jazz. We were eating lunch in the cafeteria at the hospital. That in itself was strange – Alice hated hospital food more than I did. Out of nowhere, she asked, "So what's the deal with Jasper? How do I get him to notice me?" I'd laughed aloud at that because I knew that he thought she was amazing…but he was too scared to make the first move. I'd given her some subtle hints then my pager had gone off.

The following weekend I was rostered off and was planning on going to visit my dad in Forks. I hadn't told Alice or Jazz that I was going so I set them up. Alice was waiting tables and working weekends, so I told her I'd cook her a nice dinner on the Saturday night when she finished work. I gave Jasper a similar story, only I invited him over and told him to bring Turkish with him, listing Alice's favourites. After Alice left for work that morning, I cleaned the apartment quickly and then left her a note, letting her know I'd decided to go and visit dad, and that dinner would be delivered at 7. It obviously worked a treat because when I got home early on Monday morning Jasper was stumbling out of Alice's room in his boxers.

I smiled at the memory as I got dressed. They were perfect together. Almost 6 years later and they were still going strong. _Must be something about the Cullens,_ I mused. _They seem to mate for life._ I thought about Emmett and Rosalie – they'd been together for close to ten years now. Alice and Jasper were coming up to six. The thought made my smile wider as I imagined Edward and I being together for ever.

My day dreams were interrupted by my phone ringing again. It was Edward.

"Hey there good lookin'!" I greeted him.

"Hey there yourself!" he replied. "You sound chirpy today!"

"I guess I am," I said thoughtfully. "I slept well and slept in, I'm having lunch with Jasper, and now I'm talking to you!"

"Will you be going to work tonight?" he asked.

"I still don't know. I haven't heard anything from the hospital and I haven't had the news on," I told him. "I'm doing a usual day for the day of a graveyard though – I'll have a nap this afternoon."

"That's so cute – a nap," he teased me. "Do you nap often?"

I blew a raspberry down the phone before I answered him. "I always have a nap when I go onto graveyards. If I have a few of them in a row it's not too bad, I generally sleep all day and then it starts again. But the first one is always hard so I try and have some extra sleep before I go in."

There was silence on the other end of the phone and then Edward sighed. "I miss you so much Bella. Last night after we hung up, all I could think about was the fourth. I couldn't sleep so I booked my flights,,,"

I cut him off. "Yay! When are you flying in?"

He laughed and replied, "My flight gets in at quarter past ten on the Thursday night, then I fly out again at ten am on the following Wednesday."

"I'm so excited!" I told him. I was busting to tell him I'd be in Chicago right up until the day before he was flying to Seattle, but I managed to hold it in.

"Me too baby. I hate to do this _again_, but I've got to run to a meeting. Call me tonight?" He almost sounded like he was pleading.

"I'll probably call you before I go in to work, that way it's not too late there. Don't argue," I cut him off as he went to interrupt. "Go to your meeting and I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"You better. Be safe," he said wistfully as we hung up.

I wandered into the dining room after that to see what Alice had concocted the night before. My jaw dropped as I looked at the hangers in the room. There was the camisole, complete with silver straps and the gorgeous lace, and the nightgown in the beautiful flowing silver satin. I had no idea what time Alice had gone to bed though because the bikini briefs, g-string and boyshorts were laid out on the table as well. The bra looked half-finished too. I grinned like a fool as I imagined how Edward would react.

I walked back to my bedroom and set out my clothes for work. I used the same scrubs from the day before since I hadn't made it into the hospital, and placed a black long-sleeved t-shirt and my work runners with them on the chair in the corner of my room. I checked the clock and saw that Jasper would be here in about twenty minutes, so I called work to see what was going on.

"Virginia Mason, Penny speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"Hi Penny, it's doctor Swan, how are things going down there?" I asked.

"They're looking a bit better, Doctor Swan. Let me put you through to Doctor Johns," she said.

I listened to the awful hold music for a few minutes before Dr Johns' gravelly voice came down the line. "Doctor Swan, how are you?"

"I should be asking that of you, sir," I replied. "How are things going?"

"It's looking better," he sighed. "The CDC will run another series of tests at four pm today, at which time we'll know if we can lift the quarantine on the building. Would it possible for you to call back around four-thirty?"

"Not a problem sir," I told him. "I look forward to hearing some good news!"

We said our goodbyes and hung up just as Jasper let himself in the door.

"That the hospital?" he asked.

"Yep – I have to call back this afternoon to see if I'm going to work tonight or not. So where are we going for lunch?" I was starving since I hadn't bothered with breakfast.

"Nowhere in particular – let's just head out and find somewhere?" Jasper suggested as I grabbed my bag.

"Sounds good!" I said, locking the door behind us as we headed for the lifts.

We walked out the front of the building and he held the door open for me. Even though Jasper hadn't lived in the south for long, his father was a long-standing southern gentleman and had forced manners in to Jazz from a young age.

"I was thinking maybe we could grab some take-out and eat near the water?" Jasper suggested as we drove.

We stopped at our favourite hamburger shop and bought lunch. Jasper got a burger with the works and a side of fries, I went a bit lighter and ordered a piece of crumbed fish with fries and tartar sauce. We drove a bit further along and stopped on the shore of Elliot Bay. We sat on the grass and ate like ravenous animals then relaxed in the sun for a while.

"So, about Edward," Jasper said, interrupting the peace and quiet.

I groaned as I shot him a death stare. "_What_ about Edward?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Bells! It's been so long since you've been with someone, and he seems like a nice guy, I just don't want to have to pick up the pieces if he hurts you," he explained.

"You're my best friend Jasper," I reminded him. "_If_ I get hurt, it's your job to pick up the pieces!"

"Calm down, I'm just looking out for you," he soothed.

"I know, and I appreciate it." I threw him a smile. "Just be happy for me, ok? Edward is being so sweet, I really feel a connection with him, you know? And…" I blushed as I trailed off.

"What? You don't have to be embarrassed Bella. I'm your best friend _and_ a doctor, remember?" He punched my shoulder playfully.

"It's not that!" I was mortified to think that Jasper thought I was going to talk sex with him. "It's a thought I had this morning…it's lame."

"It's obviously not so lame if you're blushing," he prompted me.

So I took a deep breath and told him about my whole 'Cullens mate for life' philosophy. I expected him to roar with laughter but he nodded when I finished.

"It's funny, I've thought the same thing for the last couple of years," he said. "Ever since we finished our internships and the hours got worse, I thought Alice would get sick of never being able to go out and stuff but she's still around."

"She loves you Jazz, of course she's still around!" I was shocked that Jasper thought Alice would leave him.

"But it just proves your point, Bells. Their parents have been married for almost forty years, Emmett and Rose have been together for ten, Alice and I are coming up on six," he paused. "And I bet in five years, you and I will be sitting here, eating greasy food, and we'll be talking about how Emmett and Rosalie are happily married with kids, Alice and I are married-"

"Alice and you are married?" I interjected.

"I love her like nothing else Bells." I was surprised to see his eyes filling with tears. "I'd ask her to marry me today if I could. But I promised myself I'd be an attending before I proposed. And I don't want to steal Emmett's thunder…" He slapped himself in the forehead. "Open mouth, insert foot much?"

"Hang on, Emmett's thunder? Is he finally going to propose?" I was so excited.

"You can't say anything to anyone, not Edward, not Alice, not _anyone_," he stressed. I nodded and crossed my heart so he continued. "He called me up a couple of weeks ago, before Edward even came to visit, and asked me to meet him for lunch. So I did, and he asked me to help him pick a ring for Rosalie. We went a couple of days later and he bought the ring – that's why Carlisle and Esme are coming for the fourth!"

"So they know?" I confirmed.

"Yep. That's why Edward was more or less told to come home that weekend. Emmett is planning on proposing during the fireworks that night," Jazz finished.

"That's awesome! I'm so excited for them!" I saw the look Jasper was giving me and retorted, "What? Just 'cause I could climb a tree better than you doesn't mean I can't still act like a girl!"

He let out that guffaw of his and shot back, "Yeah, and you fell out of them a lot better than me too!"

"Good thing my best friend is a doctor," I retorted as he pulled me to my feet.

"C'mon Miss Bella, I'd better get you home so you can get ready for work," he said as we walked back to his car.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Ok, so I've been really bad at updating. Things are crazy in my world right now, but hopefully this will tide you over for a couple of day!

A few people have asked when Bella and Edward will be together again. Well, it's not this chapter, and probably won't be the next one either. But I promise it's not far away!

Happy reading!

Chapter 25

Jasper dropped me off at 3:30. I had an hour to kill before I had to call the hospital again and I didn't want to take a nap just yet, so I started up the computer and got online to plan some more of my trip to Chicago. I decided against a rental car at first and then changed my mind. I wanted to be able to surprise Edward by turning up at his house, not waiting for a taxi. I booked a hatchback since I wasn't going to be taking a whole lot of luggage with me, charging it once again to my credit card.

Next I called the Intercontinental and made a reservation for the Sunday night at 7 in one of their restaurants. I knew Alice would help me find the perfect dress in the next week and for the first time in a long time I was looking forward to getting dressed up.

I switched off the computer and pottered around for a while, dusting and cleaning. At 4:30, I called the hospital to see if I could come in to work.

"Virginia Mason, Penny speaking," she answered.

"Hi Penny, it's Doctor Swan again, how are things going?" I asked.

"It's good news, Doctor! The CDC has lifted the quarantine and we all _finally_ get to go home! I'll put you through to Doctor Johns. One moment please." I could hear the excitement in her voice.

"Doctor Swan, it's good news," Doctor Johns told me when he came on the line. "The doctors currently on shift will be working until replacements can come in. Those who were rostered on the afternoon shift have been called in ASAP, and staff such as yourself on the graveyard are requested to come in as per usual."

"That's great news, sir. It'll be nice to have things running normally again," I told him as we hung up.

Right. Nap time. I changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and curled up in my bed, setting my alarm for 7pm. Not the usual amount of time I napped for before work, but it would do.

I slept peacefully and woke just before my alarm went off. I cancelled it and lay in bed for a few moments, listening once again to the hum of Alice's sewing machine. I crawled out of bed and took a quick shower, pulling my hair into its usual ponytail.

I wandered into the dining room to see what Alice was up to and she greeted me with a big smile. "Back to work?"

"Yep," I replied. I filled her in on my phone call with Dr Johns that afternoon.

"I'm glad it's all sorted out Bella. You must be worried about your patients?" Alice questioned.

"Most of them should have been discharged this morning, so hopefully they've all been able to go home tonight," I thought aloud. "It could be a very quiet night."

"You should try and sleep some – you look tired. Did this wake you?" Alice indicated the machine in front of her.

"Nope – I just didn't get as much sleep this afternoon as I normally do before a graveyard. This all looks amazing, by the way," I praised her work.

"This is nothing Bella. I have a surprise for you. Or I will soon, anyway," Alice corrected herself.

"I hate surprises!" I groaned.

"Well, think of it as a surprise for Edward then," she suggested.

My face lit up at the thought of surprising him. "I'll try. I have to go now though, or I'll be late. I'll try not to wake you when I come in tomorrow morning."

"And _I'll_ try not to wake _you_ when I'm working tomorrow while you're sleeping," Alice countered cheerfully, waving as I walked off.

As I got in my truck I realised I hadn't called Edward. I pulled out my handsfree and dialled his number as I drove to work.

"Hey there gorgeous," he answered after a couple of rings. "Are you at work?"

"I'm on my way," I replied. "Sorry I didn't call earlier – my nap went a bit later than usual because I didn't get to bed until later."

"Did you sleep well?" he teased.

"Like a grandma," I shot back sarcastically. "I'm guessing you haven't heard anything about your job since the hospital's been shut down?"

"Actually, I got a call from them around three your time this afternoon," he replied.

My heart jumped into my throat as my stomach dropped to somewhere around my ankles. "And?" I prompted him.

"They said my application was very impressive and that I performed well in the interview," Edward explained. "They went on to explain that the job requires someone with ambition and drive…"

I tuned out because my stomach had returned to its usual place but I could feel the tears welling up. _He didn't get the job, he didn't get the job…_I chanted over and over again in my mind.

"Bella?" he said, breaking through my thoughts. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Um, no," I replied honestly.

"I got the job!" he exclaimed.

My heart stopped. My stomach jumped. I swear even my kidneys were doing cartwheels. _He got the job, he got the job_, my mind started singing.

"Are you there? Bella?" He sounded worried.

"I'm here, just processing," I said. "That's awesome news! You have to promise me you'll call Alice when we hang up and tell her!"

"Of course I'll call her – she'd shoot me if I didn't" he joked.

"So when do you start?" I couldn't believe he was going to be here soon.

"Well, I have to pass the bar, but like I told you before, the Chief of Staff has my early processing under control. All going well, my first day will be around the middle of August." He sounded so happy.

"That's forever away!" I complained. "But I'm sure we'll survive. Oh – Jasper was saying that place in his building is coming up soon too!"

"Can you please put my name down for it?" he asked. "I have a feeling if the building is good enough for Rosalie then it must be ok!" I knew what he meant. Rose was a lovely girl but she had pretty high standards.

"Sure can! I'm pretty sure I can get the super to open it up for me to have a look, I can email you some photos if you like?" I offered as I pulled into the staff parking lot.

"That would be great. Did your truck just die?" he asked.

"My truck will never die," I declared. "I just arrived at work is all so I've turned off the engine."

"Well I'll let you go and save lives. I'll call you tomorrow afternoon ok?" He sounded sad that we were hanging up already.

"Ok," I replied. "Be safe"

We hung up and I headed into the hospital. I rode the elevator up to the trauma floor and quickly dumped my stuff in my locker.

"Doctor Swan!" I smiled when I saw Eric sitting at the desk.

"Eric! Have you been stuck here all this time?" I hoped not given how cheery he was.

"Nope – I started at five. The guys who were here looked like hell and it's quiet so Doctor Hussey sent them home." He indicated the empty patient board over his shoulder. "As you can see, we're super full tonight!"

My eyes widened in surprise. "No patients? At all?"

"Not a one," he replied. "Most of them could have gone home yesterday so they were all discharged this afternoon."

In my almost six years in trauma, we'd never had an empty floor. I was at a loss as to what to do.

"Doctor Swan!" I heard Dr Hussey call as he approached the desk.

I turned and smiled at him. "Doctor Hussey – you escaped the lock down too, I presume?"

"Sure did! I see we're in for a quiet night," he said as he looked at the board.

Interns straggled in over the next few minutes and came down to the desk to prepare for rounds.

"Hi guys," I greeted them all. "It seems like we're in for a quiet night. My suggestion is to get some study and research in, maybe find a banana or something to practice your sutures on."

"Enjoy the quiet folks," Dr Hussey continued. "I can guarantee it won't be like this for long!"

"What, we're going to get trauma cases in the middle of the night?" someone joked.

"Not likely," I retorted. "But it's Murphy's Law – it's totally empty right now, so it'll be full for us tomorrow night."

The interns trailed off in groups of two or three. Hussey and I sat and chatted with Eric for a while, occasionally going to check to see what they were doing.

Around 11 I started to get tired so I decided to go down to the cafeteria for a coffee. Their food might be less than appetising but they make a pretty good coffee.

"Eric? I'm going downstairs for a coffee – would you like anything?" I asked as I walked back to the nurse's station.

"Actually, a coffee would be great if you don't mind Doctor Swan," he replied with a smile.

"Did I hear the magic word?" Doctor Hussey asked, sticking his head out of the patient room across the hall.

"If the magic word is coffee, then yes, would you like one?" I offered.

"How about I shout, since I made you walk in on the sex doctors first?" he countered.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Works for me!"

We chatted about the 'sex doctors' on our way down to the cafeteria. Dr Mallory and Dr Newton had been suspended for a week without pay pending an investigation into their behaviour. Noone had died or been injured while they were neglecting their interns, so I had a feeling things would go back to normal pretty soon.

We got our coffees and sat for a while. Hussey explained that the attendings were going to be supervising the sex doctors' interns for the next week. It was going to make the graveyard shifts difficult because there was usually one attending and two residents plus our interns on.

"Are you concerned about supervising interns as well as residents?" I asked him as we talked.

"Not really. I actually miss the teaching," he said. Seeing the confused look on my face he continued, "When I was a resident, I loved teaching the new interns things. I know I still get to help out, but that's what I really want to do. That's why I turned down the rostering job when Johns offered it to me. I hear you're going to be doing it next year?"

"Yeah, it'll be something different. And the hours will be nice, especially since Edward will be here." I felt myself grinning again.

"So he got the job? That's great news, Bella!" Hussey seemed really happy for me.

"Yeah, it really is. I'm flying to Chicago next weekend to surprise him, then he's coming here for the weekend of the fourth and staying on for a few days to sit the bar. All going well he should be starting here in mid-August…I'm rambling, aren't I?" I looked down at my lap.

He laughed. "It's ok - my wife rambles all the time. I'm used to it."

We chatted for the next twenty minutes about his family before we decided we should get back up to the floor. I grabbed a coffee for Eric and we were off.

The rest of the shift passed slowly and quietly. I stole an hour's sleep in the locker room just after 2 and checked on my interns when I woke. They were all sitting in the visitor's room, reading out unique cases to each other from old medical journals.

At 5:30 the morning shift staff started trickling in. The interns were first, then Dr White, and finally Dr Crowley. Crowley had gone to college with Jasper then to medical school in Idaho.

"Morning Doctor Swan," he greeted me. "Quiet night?"

"No patients at all, Doctor Crowley. I'm surprised the interns are still awake!" We both laughed at that. Quiet nights as an intern are hell. Crowley, Jasper and I had all had the same resident for the first two years of our internship and she was awful. There were no naps allowed and you had to be busy all the time.

I was out the door at 6am and crawling back under my covers before 6:30. I set my alarm for 2pm, reached out and sniffed Edward's shirt, then closed my eyes and drifted off.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:**Ok, so it's been forever since I updated. I really am sorry! This chapter is only short, and I apologise for that too! But good things come to those who wait – Bella and Edward will be together in the next chapter.

On a side note, I've done the whole JK Rowling thing and written the last chapter. My guess is there'll be 6 or 7 more chapters after this one before we get to the end.

And my Jasper story (which still doesn't have a title!) will hopefully go up a few days after the end of this one.

Happy reading!

Chapter 26

The next week passed in a blur. Work went back to normal, with a steady flow of patients for us to tend to. Dr Newton and Dr Mallory came back to work on Wednesday and were heavily supervised by the attendings when they were on the same shift.

Jasper and I were working a lot of the same shifts so we were having 'us' time again which was really nice. Alice dropped in when we were working nights, even surprising us with dinner one night. Thankfully she didn't cook but brought us Chinese take away. It was a fairly quiet night so we spent an hour eating and talking about Edward's upcoming move.

Jasper and I had taken a look at the apartment on his floor on Monday and I was really excited. It was a little bit bigger than Jasper's but the same basic layout. I took a couple of pictures with my phone and sent them through to Edward for a look, he called the agent and put in an application and was waiting to hear back.

And now it was Friday – the day before my trip. I'd not long arrived home from work to find Alice carefully wrapping a gift on the dining table. Her sewing machine was gone and there were five piles of blue and silver fabric on the table in its place.

"Come and sit down," she instructed me as I popped my head in to say hi.

"Can I shower first? Please?" I wheedled when she looked like I'd just run over her pet bunny.

"Five minutes then I'm coming and dragging you out!" she threatened with a grin.

I took a quick shower and was back in the dining room less than 10 minutes later.

"Very good," Alice said to me with a grin. "I've finished all your bits and pieces," she added with a grand sweep of her arm.

"Do I get to see, or is it just going to be piles for me to look at?" I teased.

"You get to look, you silly!" she giggled.

Alice moved to the first pile and held up a bra, a pair of bikini briefs, a g-string and a pair of boyshorts, all in the blue and silver material. "Yes?" she asked, seeing my grin.

"Yes," I replied. "They all look amazing!"

She carefully folded the garments and then moved to the second, much smaller pile. "Ta da!" she cried as she unfolded the camisole.

"It's gorgeous, Al!" I exclaimed.

"I know," she said with a wicked grin. "Make sure you pack jeans to wear it with – if you need it, that is…"

"I'm sure I'll find a use for it!" I told her.

"Next!" she announced, moving to the third, silver pile. She unfolded the silver satin nightgown I'd seen a week earlier in pieces and I nodded my approval. She then unfolded what I initially thought was a second gown. It wasn't.

"Oh Alice, it's beautiful!" I cried as she unfolded a robe to match everything else. It was the same silver satin as the nightgown, trimmed in the blue and silver fabric that my new underwear was made from.

Her smile grew even bigger as she folded them both carefully and moved to the fourth pile. I felt tears well in my eyes as she held up the most beautiful silver lace wrap, trimmed in silver satin. "You made this for me?" I asked as I moved over to take it in my hands.

"You're my best friend, Bella, and you inspired the range that's going to start my career. I wanted you to have something special to remember it by." Alice gently took the wrap from my grasp and turned it over, showing me a small row of deep blue embroidery.

I pulled it closer to my eyes and read, 'For Bella, my best friend and inspiration. Love Alice.'

The tears fell freely from my eyes then as I grabbed Alice into a fierce hug. I let her go after a couple of minutes to see tears on her cheeks as well. We laughed at each other as we wiped our eyes and then Alice smiled at me once again.

"If that made you cry, I don't know that I want to give you the last part…" she trailed off.

I looked at her, shocked. "There's more?"

She reached for the last pile on the table, unfolding a long, flowing dress made from the blue and silver she'd shown me on that first day. It had fine straps and a split running to what looked like just about knee-height up one side. I felt my jaw drop as Alice looked at me enquiringly.

"Do you like it?" she asked in a timid voice.

All I could do was nod.

She giggled and thrust it into my arms. "Go try it on – I want to make sure it's perfect."

I ran to my room and stripped off the pyjamas I'd put on after my shower. I slowly and carefully pulled the dress on and raised the zip. I took a quick peek at myself in the mirror before walking carefully back to the dining room.

When Alice saw me, she did the whole jump-up-and-down-and-clap-your-hands thing, accompanied by a high-pitched squeal. I felt my face mirror the grin spreading across hers, before she ordered me to take it off again so I didn't wreck it before my planned dinner with Edward on Sunday night.

I did as I was told and Alice walked into my bedroom a few minutes later with everything else neatly folded, and the small wrapped gift on top. "Get your suitcase out," she instructed.

I laid my old pink hard-shell suitcase on the bed and Alice and I spent the next fifteen minutes packing for my trip. All of my new things were carefully folded and packed, and Alice raced to her room when we were almost done and came back with a pair of strappy silver heels. "You have to wear these with that dress," she commanded, tucking them safely against the side of my suitcase.

I was about to thank her again for her help when my phone rang. Alice rolled her eyes as she headed for the door. "Tell lover boy I say hi," she teased as she closed the door behind her.

"Hi there!" I greeted him.

"Hi yourself! How was work today?" he replied.

"Same old, same old. I'm looking forward to a few days off," I told him, not giving anything away.

"Days off are always good – I'm looking forward to this weekend! I'm starting to pack, and I think the new tenant is going to move some of her stuff in," he said.

"She?" I queried. "And why is she moving in now?"

He laughed at me and for some reason it didn't make me feel any better. "She's not moving in, Bella, just bringing some of her stuff over. I contacted my realtor and he asked me to try and find someone to take over the lease. Tanya who works for me was looking for a bigger place because her sister is moving to Chicago so it all worked out really well."

"So she's not moving in?" I just had to clarify that point.

He laughed again and I started to feel more ok with the whole idea. "No sweetie, she's not moving in. She'll probably move in the weekend that I move out. There's only one woman in my life, and she's on the other end of the phone right now."

I blushed at his compliment, feeling more and more confident about my trip. Alice knocked on my door then and held up a sign reading, 'We need to finish packing so you can go on your dirty little weekend!'

I giggled and Edward asked, "What's so funny?"

"Just Alice," I replied. "She says hi, by the way."

"Crazy pixie," he chuckled. "Say hi back for me."

"I will," I said, faking a yawn so I could finish packing.

"You sound tired – what time do you work tomorrow?" I loved that he was all concerned.

"I start at 8 in the morning so I'll be up round half past six. I should probably go so I can do a few things before bed," I said, looking at the clock. It was just after 8pm but I knew Alice would take at least an hour packing my hair and makeup stuff.

"Ok. Well, you sleep tight and have sweet dreams, and if you need me you call me," he said softly.

"I will. You too. Be safe," I replied.

We hung up and I sat and grinned at my phone for a minute until Alice came charging in.

"Done? Good," she said, acting more like a military General than a pixie.

"Edward says you're a crazy pixie and to say hi," I reported.

"That's nice," she responded, still in General mode. "Let's get your makeup packed."

True to my prediction, it was well after 9pm by the time Alice decided I'd packed the perfect makeup and jewellery. We tucked my makeup case into my suitcase, closed the zip and snapped the locks.

"So," I started, turning to her. "Are you going to tell me what the wrapped present is?"

"Oh that!" she exclaimed, slapping herself on the forehead. "That's for Edward – boxers that match your nightgown. I thought you might like something to give him…other than yourself!"

"Alice!" I squealed, grabbing a pillow from my bed and hitting her with it.

"Kidding Bella, I know you guys are meant to be now," she soothed me. "Did you want me to come to the airport tomorrow night to bring the truck home?"

"I'm actually going from work. My flight is at seven thirty so Jazz offered to pick me up in the morning since we're on the same shift. I'll shower and change at work and he'll drop me out there." Seeing the crestfallen look on her face, I added, "You can always drive the truck to the hospital and come with us, and get Jasper to take you back past there after?"

"Yay!" she said, clapping her hands again. "How about I bring your suitcase down so you don't have to leave it at work all day?"

"Alice, the last time I left you alone with my suitcase I ended up with it being full of lingerie and bathing suits," I reminded her, thinking back to a trip we'd made in college. "I'll leave it in the trunk of Jasper's car."

"Spoil sport," she shot at me as she poked her tongue out and grinned. "I'll let you get your beauty sleep. See you in the morning!"

"Thanks Al. And thanks for the clothes and stuff – they really are amazing," I said sincerely as she walked out of my room.

I slid into bed and hugged Edward's t-shirt. I decided to take it back to him and swap if for a new one…this one was starting to smell more like my bed than like him.

I slept restlessly, waking just after 11 and again just after 3. I got up then and went to the bathroom, detouring for water in the kitchen on my way back to bed. I tossed and turned until 5:30 and then gave it up as a bad joke. I took a long, hot shower and dressed for work, taking the time to braid my hair. At 6am I was eating toast with peanut butter in the kitchen when I heard Alice shuffle in behind me.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked her as she poured herself some coffee.

"Couldn't sleep – too excited for you, blah blah blah," she mumbled into her cup.

I knew she was being sincere, she was just tired. Alice has never been a morning person. I jumped up and pulled some bacon and a couple of eggs out of the fridge. When they were nearly done I toasted a couple of English muffins and served up breakfast.

We chatted some more about my trip while we ate and at 7am Jasper let himself in the front door. His eyes bugged out of his head when he saw Alice sitting at the counter, eating breakfast with me.

"Are you feeling ok?" he teased her as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her messy head.

"Couldn't sleep," she informed him around a mouthful of muffin.

He grabbed himself a coffee and I gave them some alone time while I cleaned my teeth and got all my bits together for my flight. I hugged Alice on my way out the door, leaving her the key to my truck so she could meet us at the hospital.

I felt like I was stuck inside a faulty clock all day at work – the time seemed to fly, and then stop altogether.

"Bells? You with me?" Jasper teased as he snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I shook my head to bring myself back to reality.

"It's five thirty – go have a shower and get yourself organized – I'll keep an eye on your crew," he said with a smile.

"You're the best, Jazz," I told him as I headed to the locker room.

At six on the dot we were on the way to the airport. Alice had arrived just before six and was waiting for us in the parking lot.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Alice and Jasper came in with me while I checked in and then said goodbye as I headed for the gate. I watched the clock until the loudspeaker announced, "Attention all passengers. Flight 351 to Chicago is now boarding."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** So my updates have been slow…I'm sorry! I promise the next one will come before Friday!

Happy reading!

Chapter 27

BPOV

My flight was uneventful. I was allocated the window seat and didn't have a neighbour so I was quite comfortable. Shortly after take-off I plugged in my iPod and snoozed for the better part of the flight. I woke about half and hour out from Chicago and reset my watch to local time.

We landed without incident and I spent twenty minutes at the baggage carousel waiting for my suitcase. From there, I headed to the 24 hour rental desk to pick up my car. For an additional $15 a day I also hired a GPS – I really didn't want to get lost. I found my car in the lot and programmed the address of the Intercontinental into the GPS and headed off.

Around half an hour later I was checked in and in my room. It was spectacular. The king-size bed was made up with crisp white linens and there were fresh flowers in a vase on the small table off to the side. The bathroom was tiled in white with gold accents, with a nice deep spa and a separate shower. Two hotel robes hung on the back of the door and there was an abundance of fluffy towels.

I snapped a couple of pictures with the camera on my phone and sent them through to Alice with the message;

_Arrived safe, the room is beautiful. Will talk to you tomorrow. xB_

I kicked off my shoes and climbed into the middle of the bed, flicking on the TV as I relaxed against the mountains of pillows. _A girl could get used to this_, I thought, just as my phone rang, snapping me out of my reverie. I checked my watch and thought, _Who the hell is ringing me at 2:30 in the morning?_ before I realised how late it actually was.

"Hello?" I answered without checking the display, stifling a yawn.

"Bella? Where the hell have you been?" Edward almost shouted down the line.

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb.

"I've been trying to call you at home all night and there's been no answer – I thought you were off for a few days now?" He sounded more settled now that he knew I was ok.

I remembered Alice saying she was going to stay at Jasper's while I was away, so I hedged my bets with my reply. "We went out for a while, then we went to Jasper's. Why didn't you call my cell? And where are you calling from? It wasn't your ring tone…"

"I'm at the office, there was a major blowup in a case, hopefully I'll be home before the sun comes up. I was so worried about you…" he trailed off.

I smiled softly at his words. "Well, now that you know I'm safe, you should go and do what you need to do so you can go home and get some sleep. I'll call you around lunch time your time tomorrow?"

"That sounds good – I've already asked Tanya to postpone moving her stuff in so I can get some sleep. I can't wait to see you on Thursday," he said.

I stifled a laugh and replied, "I can't wait either. I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok baby. Be safe," he said quietly.

I hung up and set my alarm for 11am. Since I was booked in for two nights I'd requested no maid service between my check in and check out so I could sleep. I put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door nevertheless and slid the chain into place, then cleaned my teeth and pulled on my new nightgown from Alice before sliding in between the sheets and drifting off to sleep.

_Sunday morning_

I woke at 10:45, according to the clock on the nightstand. I stretched lazily before getting out of bed and heading into the bathroom. I took a long, hot shower and got dressed in my jeans a t-shirt before heading out into the sunshine. I found a coffee shop a couple of blocks away and had a French vanilla latte with some raisin toast before I called Edward at 11:30.

"Hummo?" he answered, sounding like his head was in his pillow.

"Did I wake you?" I teased.

"No…I'm up," he mumbled.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I know full well I just woke you up – don't tell lies!" I joked.

"Ok, you woke me up. And how the hell did you know my full name?" he asked.

"Alice," I said simply. "What have you got planned for today?" I felt my insides start to quiver as I waited for his answer.

"I have to go back into work for a few hours, I'll probably finish round five, then I was thinking I'd have a nice quiet night at home, and a nice long phone call with my girlfriend who I miss like crazy."

_Excellent_, I thought. "Well," I said, taking a deep breath. "How about after you finish work at five, you go home and relax for an hour, then get dressed in something suitable for dinner at the Intercontinental and meet your girlfriend who you miss so much there for dinner?"

Silence. _Uh oh,_ I thought.

"Dinner? At the Intercontinental? In Chicago? Bella, are you crazy?" Edward sounded confused.

"Nope, not crazy, just sitting in a coffee shop in Chicago, wondering what to do with myself for the next three days or so," I prompted him.

"You're in Chicago? Since when?" He still sounded gobsmacked.

"Since just before I was talking to you on the phone this morning," I giggled, picturing the look on his face.

"You're kidding! You're actually here? In the same city as me?"

"Yes baby, I'm actually here. I wanted to surprise you!" I told him.

"Well, I'm surprised! Can I see you earlier than dinner?" He sounded like a little boy at Christmas.

"Nope," I said, popping the _p_ for emphasis. "Seven o'clock at Zest in the Intercontinental. The reservation is under Swan. Don't be late!" I teased.

"I won't be. Will you be coming back here to spend the night?" he asked with more than a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

I smiled. "I was hoping you'd spend tonight at the hotel with me, actually. I booked my room for two nights and there's a gigantic spa that I'm dying to test out with you…"

"I'm in," he agreed enthusiastically. "I guess I should bring a change of clothes for Monday then…I'll go into the office late so I can spend some time with you. How long are you here for exactly?"

"My flight home is six pm Chicago time on Wednesday, which means I've got time when I get home to do some laundry and be ready to go back to work on Thursday morning," I filled him in.

"And then I arrive Thursday night and I'm there until the following Wednesday!" he finished.

"Indeedy," I replied. "I'd better let you get in to work so you're not late to dinner."

"_Nothing_ is keeping me from dinner Bella. I'll see you tonight at seven," he said as we hung up.

I wandered around the area for a couple of hours after that, window shopping and generally familiarising myself with Chicago. I was planning on doing some of the tourist-y things over the next couple of days while Edward was at work.

I stopped off at a McDonald's for a late lunch around three and then walked back to the hotel to get ready for my date with Edward.

EPOV

My head was reeling when I hung up from my conversation with Bella. _She's here, in Chicago,_ I thought to myself as I dragged myself out of bed.

I wandered out to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee to brew while I had a shower. I had a couple of days' growth but left it, deciding to shave just before dinner. I smiled as I remembered Bella rubbing her cheeks against mine just after I shaved while I was in Seattle. I showered quickly, throwing on sweats and a t-shirt once I was dry. There was no point in going in to the office now. I was only going in to tidy up a few loose ends and take care of some filing issues – things that could be dealt with during the week. There was no way I was going to be able to concentrate on anything other than Bella now until I saw her. I went back to the kitchen and poured myself a coffee and decided to forgo breakfast since it was almost 12:30pm. I made myself a ham and salad sandwich and ate in front of the TV, but nothing could hold my interest.

I spent a small amount of time tidying up but, being a neat freak there wasn't much to do. I changed the sheets on my bed and changed the towels in the bathroom so it would all be fresh for Bella when she came over on Monday night. I put them in the washing machine and I made a quick trip to the grocery store while they were in there to stock up on a few things and put it all away when I got home. I threw the sheets in the dryer while the towels washed, then folded them after the towels went in the dryer.

I chanced a look at the clock and it was just past four. I decided to play my piano for a while to try and take my mind off things. I started out with some basic scales and warm-up exercises to loosen my fingers and then pulled out my music for _Moonlight Sonata_. I made it to the end of the first movement without an error and ignored the music in front of me as I played the rest of it. Then I moved into one of my own compositions, _A Song for Alice_.

When we were younger, Alice was always in awe of my talent and used to go on and on about how she wished she had someone who would write her a song. So for her eighteenth birthday I did just that. It was light and melodic, full of happy chords as she used to call them. I smiled to myself as I played, remembering how happy she was when I played it for her for the first time, before giving it to her on a CD.

I played a few more of my favourite classical pieces after that but I couldn't really focus. There was a string of notes running over and over in my head and I finally gave in and let them out onto the beautiful instrument in front of me. The melody flowed from my fingertips as if I'd been playing it my whole life and the bass accompaniment fell into place as I went along. I quickly grabbed a pencil and a sheet of manuscript paper and dropped down some dots before I forgot what I'd played. It was intricate and soulful and I knew just what had inspired me.

I stole a quick glance at the clock to see an hour had passed since I sat down, which still left me about an hour before I needed to get ready. I set about fine-tuning the piece that had come to me from nowhere and by six o'clock I was amazed at the way it had all come together. An hour or two more and it would be totally complete.

I played it through once more as I pictured Bella sitting next to me on the piano stool as I played her song for her. I had no doubt this was _Bella's Song_. That was all it needed to be called. The tenderness in the melody was sweet and the deep belly notes of the bass added confidence – the two main parts of my Bella. So sweet and tender, yet so confident at the same time. I made a couple more annotations and then I was done.

I gently closed the lid over the keys and tucked the seat underneath before I headed to my room to get ready. First I packed a suit, shirt and tie for work the next day into a garment bag before throwing a change of underwear, some socks, a t-shirt and some jeans into a small overnight bag. I picked out a nice pair of black slacks and my favourite white shirt with silver pinstripes to wear. I matched it up with a silver tie and my family crest cuff links.

I whistled as I headed back to the bathroom to shave, deciding to take another quick shower to kill some time. I shaved carefully, leaving my skin glassy-smooth and applied the after-shave gel that Rosalie bought me for Christmas the year before. I threw my toothbrush and deodorant into my overnight bag and then got dressed, taking the time to make sure everything was perfect.

At 6:40 I set the alarm and locked the house, placed my clothes and bag carefully in the trunk of the Volvo and headed towards the Intercontinental for my date with the most beautiful girl in the world.

**A/N:** I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I hate to leave it there but it makes sense to – trust me! The date will be the next chapter and I promise there will no Tanya and no other interruptions or distractions…however there will be a lemon!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

BPOV

When I got back to my room I carefully laid out my dress on the bed, along with the matching underwear and shawl that Alice had made for me. I took another shower, washing my hair carefully before stepping out and wrapping my hair in one towel and my body in another. I dried off and smothered my body in lavender and chamomile lotion before wrapping myself in one of the robes and drying and styling my hair. I piled it loosely on top of my head, letting the natural curl take over to give it a bit of an old black-and-white movie star look.

I dressed carefully and then moved back to the bathroom to apply my makeup. I tried as hard as I could to remember all the tricks that Alice and Rosalie had taught me and was happy with the end result.

I buckled Alice's silver shoes around my ankles and put the key to my room, some money, my lip gloss and a couple of tissues in my little silver clutch before taking one last look around the room to make sure it was perfect for when Edward came up with me after dinner.

I stepped out into the hallway and caught the elevator to the lobby. I took a look around to see if Edward was anywhere to be seen when the doors opened and I felt slightly disappointed when I didn't see him but then reminded myself that he was excited about coming.

I walked into Zest and was seated at a window table with a wonderful view. I could still see the entrance from where I was sitting and stole a quick glance at my watch. It was barely seven so I took a deep breath and made myself relax. I looked around the restaurant and marvelled at the beauty. I'd only ever eaten somewhere nice like this once or twice before and couldn't help feeling out of place. I looked at my folded hands in my lap and then it happened.

I felt him before I saw him. I slowly raised my head and locked eyes with Edward across the room. A brilliant smile broke out on his face as I felt tears of happiness stinging my eyes. He left the waiter behind him as he strode towards me. I was barely on my feet by the time he reached our table and swept me into his arms. He buried his face against my neck and I could feel him trembling.

"God I've missed you!" he mumbled into my neck, not letting me go.

I squeezed him tightly and whispered back, "I've missed you too."

He slowly loosened his grip on me but didn't let me go. I pulled back slightly and looked up into those amazing green eyes and smiled. My smile was mirrored on his face as he lowered his head and gave me a gentle kiss. I felt like a thousand volts of electricity were coursing through my body.

"You look beautiful," he said as he finally released me and held my chair for me so I could sit down. He quickly moved to his seat across the small table and immediately reached out for my hands. We sat there and just stared into each others' eyes and it felt totally natural. We both jumped when the waiter came over and introduced himself.

Edward ordered us a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from the wine list and we ordered a herb bread to get us started. Once the waiter left we quickly decided on meals from the menu, forgoing entrées to leave more room for dessert. The waiter returned with our wine and herb bread, we ordered our meals and he left.

Edward raised his glass slightly in my direction so as not to draw attention to us. "A toast," he declared softly. "To our happiness – may this just be the beginning."

"To our happiness," I echoed as we gently clinked our glasses together before I took a sip.

He placed his glass back on the table and reached once again for my hands. "You have no idea how much better my day became when you said you were here," he told me.

"I'm just glad I managed to keep it all a secret and pull it off!" I replied. "I was so sure I would put my foot it in eventually!"

"It's the best surprise I've ever had," he said seriously, a thousand emotions shining in his eyes. "Now eat, before the bread gets cold!"

I laughed as we both took a piece of the herb bread from the basket. We talked about Alice and Jasper while we waited for our meals to come. I filled Edward in on Alice's business plan, and how she had designed my dress and wrap for me, leaving out the details about what I wearing _underneath _the dress.

Our meals arrived and they were spectacular. Edward fed me a mouthful from his plate and I returned the favour. We ate in comfortable silence for a while before we started chatting about Emmett and Rosalie. Edward told me about when they first got together – how noone in the family was sure how to take her but how over time they came to love her as much as Emmett did.

We finished eating and I sat back and relaxed, feeling content both with my life and the food I'd just eaten. When the waiter came to clear our plates, Edward asked to see the dessert menu.

"I don't know if I can fit it in," I whispered as the waiter walked away after dropping the menu off. "I know we skipped the entrée but I'm so full!"

"There's no rush…is there?" Edward asked.

"Nope – the restaurant closes at ten and it's…" I quickly checked my watch. "It's just after eight thirty. So no rush."

"That's not what I meant, Bella," he said quietly as he leaned across the table, his eyes suddenly much darker.

I blushed furiously at his tone then winked back. "My room is just upstairs. So there's no rush at all. We have all night, after all."

He sat back with a grin and refilled our wine glasses, emptying the bottle. "Should I order another?" he asked with a wicked smile.

I shot it straight back at him. "You're not going to need it…trust me." _Wow_, I thought to myself. _Where did that come from? I've only had a glass and a half._

The smile froze on his face at my reply and then he shook his head like a stunned puppy. "Dessert," he said decisively, opening the menu. "What are you going to have?"

I opened the second menu and scanned the list. "I think I'll have the spiced chocolate and espresso Baked Alaska," I decided.

"That sounds good…but I think I'll have…" Edward was cut off by the arrival of the waiter.

I repeated my choice and he turned to Edward. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the warm caramel apple bread pudding please," Edward answered. The waiter collected our menus and walked off. "And a side order of Bella," he continued under his breath.

"Edward!" I admonished. "At least wait until he's further away next time!"

Our desserts arrived just as we both finished our wine and I was surprised that I had room for it – but I ate the lot. Our plates were cleared and we asked for the bill. The waiter brought it over and before I could even move, Edward slid his credit card into the folder and handed it back.

"Hey!" I said indignantly as the waiter moved away to process the payment. "I was going to get that!"

"You've paid for flights and a hotel room Bella. I'm paying for dinner. Besides, you can thank me later," he teased.

I blushed again as the waiter brought the receipt over. "Thank you very much sir, ma'am," he said, turning and giving me a little bow.

Edward came around and held my chair again as I stood up. I fixed my wrap and picked up my purse from the table and he offered me his arm. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Should we go by your car first?" I suggested.

"Good idea – I don't want to have to do the walk of shame in the morning!" he joked.

We went down to the car park and collected Edward's things and then stepped back into the elevator.

I smiled to myself, remembering the first ride we'd shared in an elevator.

"Penny for your thoughts," he murmured in my ear.

"Just thinking about the first time we were together in an elevator," I said as I kissed him gently on the lips.

He moved his lips slowly over mine, returning my kiss before slowly kissing his way along my jaw and up behind my ear. "Mmm," he hummed. "That was a good night."

I tilted my head back slightly and replied, "But tonight will be better," as the doors opened on my floor.

I lead the way to my room and opened the door, walking in and letting Edward close it behind him. "Don't forget the sign," I said as I kicked my shoes off.

I turned around as he hung his garment bag in the closet and then he moved back to the door to put the Do Not Disturb sign out. I padded silently across the room until I was standing behind him and waited for him to turn around. When he did, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself against his body. His arms snaked around my waist and crushed me to him before his mouth devoured mine in a deep, passionate kiss.

I whimpered as his tongue entered my mouth and I pulled myself impossibly closer to him. He eventually broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against mine. "Now _that's_ the kiss I wanted to give you when I saw you," he panted.

I responded by pulling his face to mine again. We stood there and held each other tightly for a while before I sighed and pulled away. "Wanna test the spa?" I offered coyly, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.

"Only if it involves me very slowly taking you out of that dress," he answered, reaching for me once more.

I slipped out of his reach and ran to the bathroom, turning on the water to fill the gigantic tub. I turned to walk back into the bedroom but Edward was standing in the doorway, blocking my escape. He stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him before taking me in his arms once more.

I trailed my fingertips up and down his back as his lips devoured my neck and shoulders. I eventually pulled my arms around to his chest and started working on his tie and the buttons on his shirt as he slid the straps of my dress from my shoulders.

Once I had his tie undone and his shirt open I slid my hands inside and wrapped them once again around his back. "Mmm," I moaned as I started placing gentle kisses across his chest. I trailed my way over to his left nipple and gently drew it into my mouth, sucking on it before pulling back and blowing cool air over it.

Edward's hand shot to the back of my neck and he pulled me up level with his face. "That wasn't very nice," he whispered hoarsely as he turned us and backed us up so I was pressed against the wall. "You really shouldn't tease," he went on as his hand trailed over my left breast before coming to rest on my hip.

"Neither should you," I gasped as his hand found the zip on my dress and quickly lowered it. His strong fingers slid inside and started to knead my breast. I moaned aloud and my head fell back against the door.

"God I've missed that sound," he growled in my ear before sliding my dress down my body. He stepped back and lifted me in his arms, kicking the now-discarded dress to the side as I wrapped my legs around his waist and started running my fingers through his hair. He pressed me against the door once more and ground his hips up into me.

I whimpered as his erection grazed my centre and squeezed my legs tighter around him to increase the friction. I wrestled his shirt from his shoulders and started placing hot, open-mouthed kisses across his broad shoulders.

"Bella, the bath!" he grunted as he put me down, leaning over to turn off the water. We'd gotten so carried away that the spa was almost full.

I took advantage of being back on my feet again and wrapped my arms around him from behind, tracing back and forth along the waistband of his slacks. I slowly undid his belt as I placed random kisses across his back and then unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers. As they fell down his legs to pool at his feet I started to gently stroke him through his grey boxer briefs.

"Oh fuck that feels good," he said in a strangled moan as I pressed myself tighter to his back and intensified my stroking.

"This is just the beginning," I whispered against his right shoulder blade as I tucked my fingers in to the elastic of his shorts and pulled them down to his ankles. He turned as I stood after freeing his feet from his trousers and underwear and pulled me tight against his chest.

"Ready for that spa?" he whispered as he stepped back. "Maybe not," he went on, answering his own question. "You don't seem to be naked yet."

"Well maybe you should do something about that," I prompted, running my hand up his arm.

"Did Alice make these too?" he asked quietly as he slipped his fingers under the straps of my new bra and ran them up and down.

"She wanted to make it all match, and I wanted to give you a treat," I whispered back.

"You look amazing in that colour," he sighed into my hair as he slid his arm around my back and unfastened my bra. It fell to the floor and he crushed our bodies together again.

I relished in the feel of his bare skin against mine as he slid his hands down to cup my ass. "I think these need to go too," he growled as he slid my underpants down.

As I stepped out of them Edward lifted me in his arms and lowered me gently into the steaming water. I closed my eyes and smiled as the warmth enveloped me. I scooted back into one of the corners and watched as Edward stepped in to join me.

He sat himself opposite me and beckoned for me to come closer. I moved through the water towards him and straddled his lap, groaning in delight as I felt his erection press into my stomach.

"I want you Bella, I _need _you," he moaned against my neck.

"I need you too Edward," I whimpered back.

"Please let me make love to you," he begged in a whisper, grinding his hips against mine.

I grabbed two fistfuls of his hair as a wave of ecstasy rushed through my body. "There is nothing I want more," I answered, looking into his eyes. "But we can't do it in the spa Edward – it's not hygienic."

"Yes Doctor Swan," he growled, thrusting up once more. "Perhaps we should…_play_…for a while and then I can ravage you in that enormous bed out there?"

I responded by moving my hips against him, rubbing up and down his erection.

"You are going to drive me crazy, Bella," he said as he stilled my hips with his hands. "And I'm going to love every second of it."

We touched and groped and teased until the water started to cool.

"_Please _let me take you out into the bedroom now," Edward implored me, looking at me with those darkened green eyes.

I nodded silently and smiled as he stood and stepped out of the spa, quickly drying himself and wrapping the towel low on his hips.

I sat in the cooling water, mesmerised by his body, focusing on the trail of hair leading starting below his belly button and disappearing into his towel. He leaned over the spa to pull the plug and I couldn't help myself as my hand shot out and loosened his towel. I stretched up and took him in my mouth. I heard him gasp as I started moving my mouth up and down his length, savouring the sounds he was making.

"Bella," he panted breathlessly, "you have to stop. I _have_ to be inside you or I'm going to burst."

I slowly slid my mouth up his length once more before letting him fall from my lips. He took a deep breath before standing up and pulling me to my feet. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my body, before lifting me bridal-style from the tub. He opened the door with the hand that was under my knees and carried me to the bed, where he laid me gently in the centre.

I shivered with anticipation and Edward pulled the covers back on one side of the bed. "Climb in baby – I don't want you getting cold," he ordered me smoothly.

I rolled out of the towel that was still wrapped around my body and slid under the covers. Edward slid in next to me and nudged me back towards the centre, sitting up and throwing my towel on the floor.

"Where were we?" I asked with a lazy smile as I reached for him.

He rolled on top of me and returned my smile as he said, "I think here is pretty good," before devouring my mouth with his once again.

Our bodies started moving together of their own volition and I couldn't believe how natural it all felt. We touched, stroked and kissed each other all over for what could have been a few minutes or a few hours before he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"I love you, Bella," he said softly.

My heart was already racing but it doubled its pace at his words. I was pretty sure I was in love with him when we woke up together that first morning he was in Seattle but I was too afraid to say anything. This made it all so much different though.

"I love you too, Edward," I replied just as gently.

He kissed me so tenderly then that I felt like he thought I'd break. We broke apart and smiled at each other again before he shifted slightly and I felt the tip of his erection at my entrance.

"There is nothing more on this Earth that I want right now than to make love with you Bella," he told me.

"I think I can handle that," I said, adding cheekily, "But Lil' Eddie needs to get dressed first."

He sprang out of the bed and ran to his overnight bag, rummaged around inside it for a few seconds and returned to the bed with an unopened box of condoms. He sat on the edge with his back to me and I heard his tear the box open. I slid over and wrapped my arms around him from behind again.

"Let me do it," I whispered against his skin.

He handed me the condom and waited until I moved before he rolled across to join me. I kissed him passionately as I tore the wrapper open and dropped it off the side of the bed.

I slowly slid my left hand down and started stroking him slowly. The sound he released was somewhere between a growl and a purr so I moved my right hand down and quickly unrolled the condom over his length.

"You have magic in your fingers," he purred into my ear as he rolled me onto my back.

"Make love to me Edward," I demanded tenderly.

"Yes ma'am," he replied, covering my mouth with his as he slowly slid inside me.

We both let out a breath at the same time and then started moving as one. Straight away we fell into an easy rhythm, rocking back and forth together.

"I love you," he whispered, looking into my eyes.

I wrapped my legs around his hips to pull him in deeper. "I love you too."

We kept it slow and gentle, gradually building up our pace. Edward was hitting all the right spots inside me and I could feel my orgasm building. He slid his arms from under me and propped himself up on his elbows, never ceasing his movements.

"Come for me Bella," he said in my ear, his voice an octave lower than usual before he started moving faster and deeper.

I grabbed hold of his shoulders and turned myself fully over to him. I moved my hips down hard each time he moved up to increase the friction, and in a matter of minutes I fell over the edge.

He gathered me in close to his chest again, wrapping his arms around me as I settled. He was still pulling out and pushing in just slightly, and I could feel another orgasm building.

"That was amazing," I gasped against his chest.

"We're not done yet baby," he chuckled. "Now it's time for us to come together."

He quickened his pace again, pulling almost all the way out before driving himself back in to me.

"I can't hold it back baby, I'm sorry!" he almost howled as he thrust himself deep into me.

I looked at his face as he came and that coupled with the feeling of his thrusts was enough to make me come again with him.

He collapsed on top of me, pulling in ragged breaths as both our heart rates slowly dropped back to normal. I kissed the side of his face and ran my fingers from the crown of his head down to the base of his neck over and over again. I felt him smile against my shoulder and wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

Edward shifted to the side and pulled out of me. He kissed me softly on the cheek. "Be right back," he said as he slid out of bed.

I watched him walk naked to the bathroom, thoroughly enjoying the view. He closed the door behind himself and I curled up on my side, pulling the covers around myself and snuggling into the pillows with a smile.

I heard the door open but didn't move – I knew he'd be coming back to bed. He slid in behind me and wrapped his arms tightly around my body, spooning me against him.

He gently kissed my neck and I rolled to face him, looping my arms lazily around his shoulders.

"_You_," he said softly, "are amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself," I shot back at him. "What time do you have to go to work tomorrow?"

The smile left his eyes at the mention of work.

"I'm sorry – forget I asked!" I blurted quickly.

"It's ok," he said, dropping a kiss on the tip of my nose. "I'm not seeing any new clients now and the couple of active cases I have won't go to court, so I'm thinking I'll go in round eleven tomorrow."

"And then tomorrow night?" I prompted.

"Tomorrow night, you'll be at my house, I'll cook us dinner and we'll spend the night much like this, if I have anything to do with it," he said playfully.

I snuggled into his arms and was close to being asleep before I remembered Alice's gift. "Ooh – I have something for you!" I jumped out of bed and ran to my suitcase.

He rolled over to watch me with an amused expression on his face. I pulled out my nightgown and robe and quickly pulled them on, earning a wolf-whistle for my efforts. I poked my tongue out at him as I brought his gift over to the bed.

He sat up, keeping the covers over his lap as I sat next to him. I quickly explained how Alice had made me the whole range, including the night gown. "And she made these for you," I finished, placing the package in his hands.

Edward looked at me quizzically as he unwrapped his present. He lifted the silver satin boxers and grinned. "I love them," he declared, quickly sliding out of the bed and pulling them on. "Perfect fit! How did Alice know?"

"I think she talked to your mum," I answered, taking the wrapping off the bed. I quickly took off the robe and lay it on the end of the bed.

We both got back under the covers and I cuddled up to Edward's chest.

"Sleep tight my Bella," he whispered as he wrapped his arms tightly around me.

"I love you," I mumbled, already half asleep.

"Love you too," he replied as I drifted off with a smile on my face.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Before I say anything, I just want to point out that I've picked up a discrepancy in my story. In the very first chapter, I referred to Rosalie as Emmett's fiancée. Later on, Bella and Alice wonder when Emmett will propose. Oops. So, for the sake of the story and where it's going, Emmett and Rose are not engaged. Sorry for any confusion!

Sorry this chapter has been a while coming. Hopefully it's been worth the wait! (And yes, it's another lemon. My plan was to not have lemons in this story. I guess I failed on that one!)

Happy reading!

Chapter 29

EPOV

As I lay there with Bella sleeping in my arms and a shit-eating grin on my face, I thought back over the last few weeks. Seeing Bella in her and Alice's apartment had reminded me what an ass I'd been when I met her the first time.

I knew Alice had brought a friend on the family summer trip but work was hectic so I wasn't planning on going. My relationship with my then-girlfriend Stephenie was on the rocks and I was trying to do everything in my power to fix it. I'd just been awarded the partnership at Yorkie and Cheney and I wanted to make a good impression and I knew I'd been neglecting Steph. We'd moved in together a little over six months ago and we'd barely seen each other since. When I was at work she was at home, and when I was at home she was at work. Steph was already a career cop when we met – she'd followed her father and brother straight into the academy at 18 and had a love of working nights.

The day I flew out to meet the family she drove me to the airport. As we were walking into the terminal she slid her hand into mine and squeezed. I looked down with a smile, thinking that we were about to have the profound, 'it's all better' moment. She stopped just inside the doors and looked up at me with a blank expression on her face.

"It's not working, Edward," she said bluntly.

"I know it's been tough Steph, but we can work on it," I promised, stepping closer to her.

"No, we can't. We've tried. At least, y_ou've_ tried. But I just can't do it any more. When you come back, my things will be out of the apartment. I'll leave you some money to cover my share of the bills as they come in." Stephenie stretched up and kissed me softly on the cheek before turning and walking away.

So I got wasted on the plane. I'd known for a while that it wasn't working but I loved her and wanted to make it work. Emmett picked me up from the airport and straight away knew what was wrong. Stupid big lug – Alice isn't the only one in our family with a sixth sense. We arrived at the house and I was rude to Bella before I even got to know her.

Looking at her in my arms now, I couldn't help but wonder, what if? What if I'd taken Steph's break up like a man and taken the time to get to know Bella all those years ago? I shook my head slightly and lived in the moment. I dropped a soft kiss on the top of Bella's head and smiled as she grunted softly before nuzzling in closer to my body.

I laid there for a while longer, relishing the feel of her satin-clad body resting against mine. I couldn't wait until I moved to Seattle. While I didn't want Bella and I to move too fast, I also didn't want to waste another minute. I wasn't planning on having her move in, but I wanted her to spend the night as often as she could. Having her in my arms felt like the most natural thing in the world.

My last conscious thought as I drifted off to sleep was that I'd have her not only in my arms, but in my bed for the next two nights.

I woke the next morning curled against Bella's back to the muffled ringing of my phone. I opened my eyes, trying to remember where I'd put it the night before.

"If you don't answer that fucking thing in the next two seconds, I'm going to push you out of bed," she mumbled into her pillow.

I leaned over her and kissed her temple. "And good morning to you too, grumpy bum," I teased as I disengaged my body from hers to go looking for my phone.

I found it in the pocket of my slacks from the night before – balled up on the bathroom floor. I scrolled to the missed call list and saw that it was Embry. I climbed back under the covers and stuck my now-cold feet on the back of Bella's legs. I laughed as she squealed and kicked before burying her head back under the covers. "I'm not getting up," she grunted.

I quickly called Embry to see why he was calling at 8am. "Hey man, why the early morning call?"

"Well, it's a bit of a disaster. I think Tanya thought she was doing the right thing…" he trailed off.

"Spill it Embry. Bella is here from Seattle and I want to get back to her," I told him, slightly agitated.

"Well, she's had the keys to your office duplicated…" he started.

"She did what?" I yelled. "When?"

"I don't know. All I know is, I came in early this morning to use the gym and I was dropping my stuff at my desk and saw your office light on and the door open. I walked in to say hi and she was digging through your files. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was organising them," he finished in a hurry.

"Did you explain that they're already organised? That you and I have a system that she's more than welcome to change once I'm gone?" I asked.

"I did. I told her we've used the same system forever and nothing's ever gone missing or turned up in the wrong spot. She kind of shrugged it off and headed out to get coffee. I think she must've been here over the weekend too though because there's only one cabinet besides the combination one that hasn't been touched."

I groaned as I thought about how much work there would be in sorting things out again. "I was going to come in late today since I don't really have much left, guess that's changed now," I grumbled.

"No, you spend the morning with your Bella. I'll get started on this mess – a lot of it can probably go down to secure storage now anyway," he said kindly. "I'll see you after lunch – enjoy spending time with your girl while she's here."

I thanked him profusely before hanging up and turning back to Bella. I thanked him even more profusely in my mind when I saw Bella's nightgown crumpled on top of the covers and her bare back in the centre of the bed.

She turned her head and smiled at me over her shoulder. My body responded to the look in her gorgeous brown eyes instantly and I quickly stood and dropped my boxers on the floor.

"Looks like 'good morning' is going to be an understatement," she purred as I slid in beside her and started placing light kisses down her spine.

"Indeed, since I just spoke to work and was ordered not to come in until after lunch," I whispered against her skin.

I lifted my head to see the corners of Bella's mouth turn up in a smile. "Sounds good to me," she said, rolling over onto her back.

I moved up her body and started kissing her softly, but it appeared she had other ideas. She wound her fingers into my hair and pulled my face closer to hers, forcing her tongue into my mouth and whimpering in the process. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and rolled so she was on top of me, letting my hands slip down to grab her curvy butt.

It was my turn to whimper as Bella started moving against me. "Oh God, you're so _wet_," I whimpered in her ear as she attacked my neck with her lips and teeth.

"Mmm hmm," she hummed into my ear, gently licking the shell and sending shivers down my spine. "It's amazing what seeing you first thing in the morning does to me."

She slid off my chest then and I pouted at the loss of contact. Bella grabbed a condom from the pack that was still sitting next to the bed and turned to me with a wicked smile on her face. "Coloured?" she teased before sucking my still-pouting bottom lip into her mouth.

I groaned as she started stroking me. "You're doing it again Bella."

"Doing what?" she mocked, increasing her speed.

I gently bucked my hips up into her hand. "Driving me crazy."

She smirked at me and then tore the wrapper open with her teeth. "Ooh blue!" she said as she placed the condom just over the head of my erection. She then leaned down and unrolled it the rest of her way with her mouth, running her tongue around my dick.

"Where in the blue fuck did you learn to do that?" I exclaimed as she slid her mouth off me again.

"Nowhere," she replied as she blushed. "I read about it and wanted to try it."

"Well you can try it again any time you like," I assured her. "Now what exactly was it you were planning on doing next?" I raised one eyebrow at her.

"Maybe…this?" Bella swung one leg over my hips and slid herself onto me in one smooth movement. I couldn't stop my hips from rising up to meet her as she started moving.

I grabbed hold of her hips to slow her frantic movements. "Settle down baby…we have all morning," I crooned as I lifted my head to take her right nipple into my mouth.

She stilled and then threw her head back and moaned my name loudly as I sucked and nibbled, quickly switching to the left side. I laid back after a while and Bella started riding me hard and fast again.

"What's the rush?" I teased.

She leaned down next to my ear and growled, "The rush is, you make me so fucking horny that I have to have you, hard, now." The last two words were punctuated with a hard grind of her pelvis.

"You want it hard?" I asked as she started sucking on my neck again.

"You better fucking believe it," she groaned against my skin.

"Then let me take over," I whispered, grabbing her hips again and rolling us so I was on top. Bella wrapped her arms around my neck, anchoring herself to my body again.

"Make me scream your name, Edward," she panted. "I want the whole world to know that you're making me come."

My testosterone-fuelled brain didn't need any more encouragement than that. I untangled Bella from my body and hooked her left leg over my hip, holding it there with my hand. I braced myself with my left and started driving into her.

"Fuck yes!" she moaned, reaching up and grabbing my biceps. "Do you have any idea how fucking hot you look right now?" she asked, running her fingers up and down my chest, scratching gently.

Her words spurred me on, and only minutes later I saw the tell-tale blush start spreading across her body. Her moans escalated until they were pleasure-filled screams, my name falling over and over from her lips.

I felt her clench around me and that was all it took for me to lose it completely. Two more hard thrusts and I was spent. I collapsed against her, crushing her small frame into the mattress beneath me.

Once I caught my breath I rolled off Bella and pulled out, quickly and discreetly cleaning myself up. I laid back down on my side and pulled her still quivering body against mine, holding her close as she continued to come down.

"So, good morning?" I ventured with a smile.

"Good morning indeed," she mumbled, hiding her face in the pillow again.

"Bella, why are you blushing?" I asked.

"Uh, 'cause I'm embarrassed?" came her muffled response.

I shook my head as I rolled her over to face me. "Come here, you silly girl. Why are you embarrassed?"

She ducked her head and mumbled something I didn't understand, so I tilted her chin up so she was at least facing me. "Care to repeat that?" I asked gently.

"Um, I-ordered-room-service-this-morning-for-eight-thirty-and-I-think-they-might-have-heard-me-screaming-your-name?" she blurted.

I couldn't help myself. I burst out laughing. "Well," I said, wiping tears from my eyes, "you _did_ say you wanted the whole world to know I was making you come!"

"Hmph," was her only reply as she slapped my chest before shrugging out of my grip. She grabbed her nightgown from the floor and quickly covered it with her robe before opening the door. "No food," she reported with a relieved look on her face. "They're late."

I climbed out of the bed and retrieved my boxers from the floor, pulling them on before taking Bella in my arms once more. "It's only eight forty baby. I'm sure it'll be here soon."

"What if I scared them off?" she wondered aloud, just as there was a knock at the door.

"Room service," came the voice from the hallway.

I opened the door and took the trolley from the pimply-faced boy standing there. "Thank you," I told him. "We'll leave it outside when we're done."

"Not a problem sir," he replied, smiling as he walked off.

I closed the door and wheeled the cart over to the small table. "You must have ordered enough food to feed an army," I said to Bella as we started uncovering dishes and setting them out.

"Just wanted to make sure there was enough," she said with a smile. "Now eat!"

There was bacon, eggs and toast as well as two beautifully presented fruit compotes. We also had fresh-squeezed orange juice and the coffee smell coming from the silver pot was amazing. Bella poured us both a cup and the taste was incredible.

"What sort of coffee is this?" I asked her.

"French vanilla, it's one of my favourites," she replied.

"I think it just became one of mine, too," I said with a smile. "So what are you planning on doing when I'm at work?"

"Well, I wanted to go to the observatory, the one they say you can see four states from," she told me.

"John Hancock? That place is awesome!" I enthused.

She nodded. "That's the one! And I also want to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and Alice said I should go to Garfield Park?"

"The zoo is good if you don't have a problem with noisy kids, and Garfield Park is beautiful. Maybe I can take the afternoon off instead of the morning and go with you?" I offered.

"That sounds nice," she said. "I can't wait till you're in Seattle!"

"Less than a week, gorgeous," I said with a wink, sipping my coffee.

"I meant permanently, but next week will be great too," she replied with a smile.

We finished off our breakfast and I wheeled the cart back into the hall. I closed the door and turned around to find Bella behind me, naked once again.

"Shower?" she asked with a grin.

_This woman will be the death of me_, I thought with a smirk as I followed her to the bathroom, leaving my boxers behind me.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** So I've been a bit slow updating again…sorry about that! I'm going to try and finish this story in the next two weeks. My new story is playing more games in my mind and I'm finding it difficult to keep the story lines separate at the moment.

Happy reading!

Chapter 30

EPOV

After a gloriously long shower together we gathered our belongings and headed to the lobby so Bella could check out. I stood off to the side while Bella paid the bill, then carried her bags to her rental car.

"Does it make sense to take your stuff to my place now?" I asked. I was looking forward to seeing Bella in my house, even if it wasn't going to be mine for long.

"I guess so," she replied. "How far is it from here?"

"Given that it's already ten o'clock, traffic should be fairly light so only about fifteen minutes," I told her.

"Ok," she said. "I'll pull in front and wait for you to come past and I'll follow you."

I walked quickly to my Volvo and slid behind the wheel. I drove slowly past the front of the hotel, flashing my headlights at Bella's rental so she knew it was me. I checked my rearview mirror and she pulled out behind me.

Fifteen minutes later we were pulling into my driveway. I grabbed my stuff from my car and went to help Bella with hers.

"It's ok," she said, shooing my hand away. "You need to get the door."

I quickly unlocked the door and turned off the alarm then turned to hold the door open for Bella. I watched her face as she walked in. My place wasn't fancy, but it was nice, and it was home. _At least until I met Bella and wanted to leave all this behind just to be with her_, I thought.

She smiled at the framed family portrait hanging above the hall table. It had been taken about five years earlier. My mother was dressed in a gorgeous cream sweater and my father in a pale blue shirt, with us three 'kids' wearing similar shirts – mum's idea. They were a blue and cream stripe – Emmett's had quite chunky stripes, mine was blue with cream pinstripes and Alice's was cream with some weird blue geometric pattern all over it.

"That's such a cute photo," she said, leaning in closer. "I love how you all match!"

"That was Esme's idea," I informed her. "Alice, of course, went right along with it. Carlisle and Emmett and I just humoured them both."

"Well _I _think it's cute," she stated, stretching up and kissing me on the tip of my nose. "Where should I put my stuff?"

"That all depends on where you want to sleep…" I trailed off.

"I was hoping I'd be sharing your bed," she said, looking confused and somewhat disappointed.

"I was hoping that too," I said softly, putting my bags down and wrapping my arms around her. "But I didn't want to be presumptuous."

"Silly boy," she mumbled, shaking her head against my chest. "Now lead the way!"

I snuck in a quick kiss before releasing her and leading the way to my bedroom.

"Wow, this is nice," she said as we walked through the door.

"It's nothing special," I mumbled, all of a sudden feeling shy.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, placing her bag next to the door and reaching for my hand.

I quickly put my things down and led her over to sit on the end of the bed. "This is kind of lame…"

"You can tell me," she said warmly, turning to face me.

"I've lived here for almost six years, and you're the first woman I've had in my room," I blurted out.

A wide smile crept across Bella's face. "That's not lame Edward," she told me. "It's sweet." She kicked off her shoes and wriggled back until she was leaning against my pillows.

I laughed as I followed suit. "Making yourself comfortable?" I asked as I snuggled in beside her.

"I have a question, you don't have to answer it if you don't want to…" she looked at me to gauge my reaction.

"What do you want to know?" I was curious.

"If you've lived here for six years and never had a woman in your room…" she trailed off.

I let out a mocking laugh at my own expense. "Yes, Bella, I've pretty much lived the life of a monk."

We lay there for the next hour and I filled her in on the whole Stephenie saga. How it wasn't working, how she dumped me that day at the airport, how when I got back her stuff was gone, along with my bed. How I started looking for a new place to live almost straight away. How this place came up and I moved in without a bed.

"So, you've only ever slept in this bed alone?" Bella asked.

"Just me," I answered, kissing her gently.

"How does a guy like you stay single and celibate for six years?" she wondered aloud.

I laughed again and squeezed her tight against me. "I just wasn't interested in getting hurt again."

"But you've taken a chance on me – why aren't you afraid I'll hurt you?" she countered.

"There's just something about you Bella – I trust you. And we've made it work long distance so far. It just feels…right," I finished lamely.

We lay there in silence for a while, just looking at each other, until her phone started playing 'Full Moon' by the Black Ghosts. But she made no move to get up.

"You going to answer that? I might have to kick you out of bed," I teased.

"It's not a call – it's my alarm. Letting me know it's 11:30 and you should be getting ready for work," she replied, snuggling closer.

"I'll be home before you know it…which reminds me, I'd better get you the spare keys so you can go out and come back," I said, squeezing her once more before I stood up. "What?" I asked. Bella was looking at me like she was trying not to laugh.

"You look like a bum – your clothes are all wrinkly!" she teased with a giggle.

"Well that's your fault for making me lay on the bed," I shot back. "I guess I'll just have to get changed," I teased, slowly unbuttoning my shirt.

Bella was off the bed in a flash. "Perhaps you'd like some help?" she suggested, looking up at me through her eyelashes.

I groaned. "Bella, as much as I'd love you to help, I really do need to go in to work soon. You can help when I get home?" I offered.

Too late. My shirt was unbuttoned and my pants were around my ankles. _When did she do that_? I wondered.

"Sounds like a plan," she said with a smile, sitting back down on the bed. She rolled over onto her stomach and looked out the window. "Looks like there's a storm coming – would you mind if I spent the day here?"

I'd gone into my walk-in robe while Bella was talking to grab a fresh shirt and trousers. "Of course I don't mind if you spend the day here – I want you to feel comfortable," I said as I walked out.

I dressed quickly and grabbed a tie, moving into the ensuite to make sure I didn't look like I'd been sleeping.

Bella was sitting on the end of my bed when I walked back into the bedroom. I pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly.

"I'll be home before six," I whispered into her hair.

She walked with me to the front door. "Hang on, keys," I said to her, walking back to my computer desk in the living room. I opened the drawer and reached into the cavity, pulling out the spare set of house keys. I walked back to Bella and placed them in her hand. "The alarm code is Alice's birthday backwards," I whispered in her ear.

She reached up and pulled me down for a tender kiss before letting me go and straightening my shirt and tie. "Have a good day at work," she said with a smile.

"I'll call you when I'm leaving the office," I replied, dropping one more small kiss on her lips as I headed out the door.

BPOV

I stood in the doorway and waved to Edward as he left for work. Once he drove off, I stepped back inside and closed the door, making sure I locked it before I walked away.

I moved over to the stereo, hitting the play button on the CD player. 'Revelry' by Kings of Leon came through the speakers and I smiled. _He has good taste in music_, I thought to myself as I opened the door of the small cabinet under the stereo. I sat on the floor and looked through Edward's CD collection. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Chopin, Mozart, AC/DC, Aerosmith…his music was nothing short of eclectic.

I stood and stretched and looked out the window. The storm clouds were more dense than before and the wind had picked up. As I watched, the clouds broke open and the rain started falling.

Wandering into the kitchen, I poked through the fridge and cupboards. Edward had said he would cook dinner for me, but I wanted to surprise him with a hot meal when he got home. _Am I turning into June Cleaver?_ I wondered to myself with a snort.

As I closed the fridge I thought I heard my phone ringing from Edward's room. I ran to answer it, recognising the ring tone as Alice's when I got closer.

"Hey you!" I greeted her as I picked up.

"Hey you yourself! How's it all going?" she chirped back at me.

I filled her in on the last day and a bit, from when I told Edward I was in Chicago right up until he left for work.

"It's such a fairy tale!" she squealed. I could just picture her clapping her hands and jumping up and down on the spot.

"There _is_ one other thing…" I started.

"Did he say he loves you?" she asked breathlessly.

"He…what? How did you know that?" I was slightly peeved that Alice had stolen my thunder.

"I could see it on his face when you two were together here in Seattle," she said simply. "And I could also see it on yours…did you say it back?"

I blushed as I told her yes.

"I'm so happy for you guys Bella. I can't wait until Edward moves here and we can all go out together and stuff!" Alice's enthusiasm for little things was one of the things I loved most about her.

I jumped as there was a massive crack of thunder. "Al, I better go," I told her. "There's a massive storm about to hit. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Okey day! Have fun!" she said as we hung up.

I stuck my phone in the pocket of my jeans and headed back to the kitchen to make myself some lunch. I settled on a ham, cheese and mayo sandwich with a glass of juice and ate at the small breakfast bar. I washed my dishes when I was finished and put them away.

I moved back into the living room where the CD had stopped, and changed it over for Billy Joel. I started dancing around the living room, singing 'Uptown Girl' at the top of my lungs, then stopped abruptly when I realised I was in Edward's house, not mine.

I browsed through his book collection and was delighted and surprised to find all seven of the Harry Potter books on the shelves. I picked one up at random and sat down in the recliner. I reached up to turn on the lamp and buried my nose in the book while the storm raged outside.

I must have dozed off at some point because my phone ringing in my pocket made me jump. It was Edward.

"Herro?" I slurred.

"Did you fall asleep?"? he joked.

"I don't remember it, but I must have," I replied, stretching and then moving the recliner into the upright position.

"Let me guess – you sat in the recliner with a book and dozed off? I've done it a million times," he told me.

"Yeah, that's about right," I admitted.

"Well, I'm just about done here, so I should be home in about forty minutes. I just wanted to let you know so you didn't think someone was breaking in or anything when I get there," he teased.

I looked at the clock on the wall above the TV. It was just after 5. "Ok, so I'll see you around a quarter to six then?"

"I can't wait to come home to you Bella," he said softly.

"I'll be here, I promise," I replied as we hung up.

I jumped up off the recliner and put Harry back on the shelf. I quickly brushed my hair and washed my face to make myself presentable then headed to the kitchen to make dinner.

I pulled a couple of steaks out of the freezer and stuck them in the microwave to defrost. I dug through the cupboards to find a frying pan and ended up settling for the George Foreman grill. I plugged it in and let it warm up while the steaks finished defrosting. The microwave _pinged_ just as the grill clicked to ready, so I quickly laid the steaks on the bottom plate and closed the top, setting the timer for 20 minutes.

I set the table and threw together a salad while the steaks were cooking. At 5:35 the timer on the grill went off and I checked the steaks. _Still a little too bloody_, I decided, setting the time for a further 10 minutes.

I ran into the living room and put Mozart in the CD player, letting it play while I finished dinner. I heard the automatic garage door open ten minutes later, just as the timer went off for the second time. I checked the steaks again and decided they were done.

I served up two plates with salad on the side, and finished off quickly by smothering the steaks in a hickory sauce I found in the pantry.

"Honey, I'm home!" Edward hollered from the living room. I heard him drop his briefcase and keys. "Something smells good!"

I felt his arms circle my waist from behind as I pulled a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon out of the pantry cupboard and uncorked it.

"What's the occasion?" he whispered in my ear.

"I just wanted to spoil my boyfriend after a hard day at work," I said, smiling as I turned to face him. "Shall we eat?"

We sat and talked about different things while we ate. I complemented Edward on his music collection and he complemented my dinner.

"I'm curious, Bella," he said as he placed his wine glass back on the table. "Which book were you reading when you fell asleep?"

I giggled. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"That's all the answer I need – Harry Potter!" he exclaimed.

"Got it in one," I responded dryly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of – I own them, after all," he said soothingly.

We finished dinner and washed up together.

"I _do_ have a dishwasher, you know," he said to me as I wiped down the countertop.

"I know – this way we get to spend domestic time together. My mum always said it was important to spend time together while doing the boring stuff. We used to fold the laundry together on a Sunday night," I told him.

He smiled as I threw the sponge into the sink. "Maybe that's a tradition we can carry on once I move?"

I stopped and looked at him. "Edward, what are you saying?"

"Oh God, Bella, no! I'm not asking you to move in, if that's what you think…" he started rambling. A look of disappointment must have crossed my face because he kept going. "I mean, it's not that I don't love you, because I do. And it's not that I don't want to spend as much time as possible with you once I move, because I do…"

I cut him off by placing my finger on his lips. "Shush," I told him.

"All I meant was, maybe we can have 'domestic time' after dinner when you come over or something," he clarified.

"That sounds wonderful," I said with a smile. "And so does soaking in that gigantic bathtub in the main bathroom with you and the rest of that wine!"

"I'll go turn the water on, you bring the wine," he replied, yanking at his tie as he headed for the bathroom.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** I just want to say thank you to all of you who are leaving me reviews! It's great knowing that people are not only reading my story, but enjoying it and loving these incarnations of Bella and Edward as much as I do.

At this point, there will be six more chapters after this one. I don't think it'll change, but with me you never know! It could just end up having a few long chapters. And, of course, there will be the sequel in a few months.

Happy reading!

Chapter 31

We soaked in the tub together, drinking wine and talking until the water cooled off so far that we were both starting to shiver. We dried off quickly and dressed for bed – Edward in his shorts from Alice and a white t-shirt, me in my nightgown and robe. Edward made us both hot chocolate and we curled up under a blanket on the couch to watch some TV before going to sleep.

Edward was randomly flicking through the channels when he came across a re-run of Angel. "Ooh, stop here!" I squealed.

"Angel?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Problem?" I asked, raising mine back at him.

"Nope," he grinned, kissing me quickly before turning back to the screen.

It was one of my favourite episodes. The demon Angel and his team were fighting multiplied every time it was killed – one happy, one sad. By the end, we were both laughing, trying to understand exactly what was going on. It finished just before 11 and Edward turned off the TV and grabbed our long empty mugs, rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher.

"Bedtime?" He offered me his hand.

"Bedtime," I confirmed, taking his hand and standing up.

We turned out the lights on our way to his bedroom. "Give me a minute?" he asked, stepping into the ensuite. I nodded and he closed the door

I busied myself by pulling back the covers and switching on the lamp next to the bed. I guessed that was the side he slept on since there was no lamp on the other bedside table. I'd just turned out the main light when he came out of the ensuite and grabbed me in a hug.

"Mmm, minty fresh!" I joked as he dropped a soft kiss on my cheek. "My turn to have a minute."

He let me go with a smile and I headed into the ensuite and closed the door. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and used the toilet before checking my reflection in the mirror one last time. I walked back into the bedroom to see Edward lying on the pillows on the side of the bed I had presumed was 'his'.

I lay my robe across the foot of the bed and climbed under the covers, letting out an appreciative moan at the feeling of the sheets.

"What sort of sheets are these?" I couldn't help asking. "They're not satin, but they feel almost as soft!"

Edward chuckled as he leaned over and turned out his lamp before pulling me into his arms. "To be honest, I don't know. Alice bought them for me for Christmas last year, something about being a high thread count?"

"Sounds like Alice," I said as I snuggled up against him. "What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?"

"I was thinking about that on my way home," he replied. "Did you want to get up and come in with me in the morning, you can go to the observatory for the morning, then I'll meet you for lunch and we can go to the zoo and Garfield Park together tomorrow afternoon?"

I lifted myself up on one elbow and smiled at him in the dark. "Sounds wonderful," I whispered as I found his lips and kissed him softly.

"Bella…" he whispered, not removing his lips from mine.

"You need your sleep," I replied softly.

I felt him smile as he responded, "Yeah, but its nice knowing you'll be here in the morning!"

"I love you," I whispered, kissing him again.

"Love you too," he replied as I snuggled back down, savouring the way his body felt so close to mine.

_Tuesday morning_

"It's seven oh three and this is the news…" Edward's alarm went off.

I heard him groan as he rolled away from me to hit the snooze button. He was quickly cuddled up to my back again, nuzzling into my neck. I tried to say good morning but it came out like the sound a sheep might make whilst giving birth.

"What was that?" he whispered.

I made a conscious effort to lick my lips this time and swallowed before trying again. "It was meant to be good morning," I mumbled, burying my face in the pillow.

"Of course it's a good morning," he countered. "I woke up with you!"

I rolled over and smiled at him. "You're gorgeous, you know that?" I said. "Even with creases in your face from the pillow and your hair everywhere, you're gorgeous."

He smiled. "You're not so bad yourself."

I stretched lazily, enjoying the way his eyes travelled down my body. "So, what's for breakfast?" I asked.

"Hmm…toast, fruit, cereal, yoghurt…whatever you like, really!" he replied.

"Coffee?" I asked with a pout.

"Oh shit!" he exclaimed. "Sorry!"

"You don't have to apologise for swearing you clown," I teased. "Unless there's no coffee…" I smiled to let him know I was still joking.

"There's coffee, you'll just have to wait for it. Normally I set the machine the night before so the coffee is ready after my shower, but I was…_distracted_…last night and forgot," he explained.

"Well, how about you go and put the coffee on, then join me for a shower?" I suggested, letting my body rub up against his.

"You have no idea how good that sounds, or how often I've thought of you being in there with me since I've been here without you," he said gruffly, throwing the covers back and getting up. "Be right back!"

Once he left the room I shot into the ensuite, leaving my nightgown between the bed and the door. I quickly brushed my teeth and my hair, then turned on the water and stepped in carefully. I tipped my head back under the water and smiled at the warmth. My smile grew when I heard Edward come into the room.

"Room for one more?" he asked as he opened the glass shower door.

"I think you might just fit," I replied, not opening my eyes.

I heard the door close and then his arms were around me again, crushing me up against the blue-tiled wall.

"Don't you have to go to work this morning?" I teased as his lips roamed hungrily down my neck.

"Do you want me to stop?" he countered.

"Well, no…" The rest of my words were cut off by his kiss.

Half an hour and an excessively long shower later we were drinking coffee in the kitchen. I was munching on a piece of toast with peanut butter and he was eating cereal.

"Does coffee really go with corn flakes?" I asked him.

"Not really," he replied. "But I usually have more time for breakfast!"

I poked my tongue out at him as I rinsed my mug in the sink. "You should have had a shorter shower then!" I retorted with a smile over my shoulder as I went to brush my teeth.

We left Edward's house just after 8:15 in his Volvo. "You can drive this around today if you want to," he offered.

"Is everything in walking distance from where you'll park?" I asked.

"I can drop you at the observatory if you want…they don't open until 9 but it'll probably be close to that by the time we get there," he said, looking at the traffic.

"That sounds fine, as long as you give me directions to your office…and I'll still probably get lost!" I joked.

Edward leaned over and pulled a small map out of the glove box. "This should help," he said. "It's a bit out-of-date, but it's a tourist map I picked up for Alice when she visited a couple of years ago, and my office is marked on it."

We pulled into the parking lot at the observatory ten minutes before it opened. "Will you be ok on your own?" he asked, turning in his seat to face me.

I smiled before answering, "I'll be fine! There's a lot to do here and I'll probably stop for a coffee at some point. What time should I meet you for lunch?"

He thought for a minute. "Let's say twelve thirty – it'll take you about fifteen minutes to walk there from here. If I'm going to be later I'll let you know."

"Sounds good," I said, leaning across the centre console to give him a quick kiss. "Now get going so I can see you sooner!"

He reached over and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, pulling me in for another kiss. "Be safe," he whispered.

"I will, I promise," I assured him as I slid out of the car.

I waved to him as he drove off and walked up to the visitor entrance. I waited for a few minutes until the security staff came and opened the doors for the day. I bought a ticket and talked to the girl behind the desk about what I should do while I was there.

I spent the next two hours taking it all in. I went out on the observation deck and well and truly conquered my fear of heights before heading back inside and feeling like a little girl again when I got excited about the talking telescopes. I spent over half an hour looking at the history wall, taking in what made Chicago into the city it is now.

Just after 11 I hit the gift shop and bought some tacky touristy souvenirs to take back to everyone at home. Jasper and Emmett got key rings and Alice and Rosalie got a pack of fluorescent pens stamped with the observatory logo.

I'd grabbed a couple of pamphlets from the information desk when I bought my ticket and left the observatory in search of the Hershey's shop. Alice had said something about them having the best chocolate cupcakes she'd ever had so I decided to try it out for myself.

A five minute walk landed me right out the front. I hit the coffee shop first and had a mocha latte with said chocolate cupcake…and Alice wasn't wrong. After that I wandered through the shop and ended up spending more money than I'd planned. I had custom chocolate bars made for Jasper and Alice, and Emmett and Rosalie with their names on them plus one for Edward and myself. I also bought a big bag of Hershey's kisses to leave for Edward when I left, with some sappy note about him being able to have a kiss from me every day even though I wasn't there.

I also bought a dozen cupcakes. I figured Edward and I could have them for dessert and then have a couple more the next day, and I could buy a plastic container to take them home for Alice and me to share.

Just as I was putting my money away my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered with a smile, knowing it would be Edward.

"Hey there beautiful! Does twelve thirty still suit you for lunch?" he asked.

"Sure does – I'm just leaving Hershey's," I told him.

"Let me guess – Alice told you about the cupcakes?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yep, and as usual, she was right," I confirmed. "I'll meet you out the front of your building in twenty minutes?"

"You don't want to come up and see where I work?" he asked.

"I do, but I also don't want to meet Tanya," I told him, feeling bad.

"I wouldn't either," he said under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear. "There's a little garden thing with a fountain to the side of the building – I'll see you there soon, ok?"

"Miss you," I said as I hung up.

I checked the map and headed off to meet Edward for lunch. The city was beautiful as I wandered along – old buildings mixed with modern people. I found his building with a couple of minutes to spare and sat down on a low stone bench near the fountain.

"Now what's a pretty girl like you doing sitting all on her own in a place like this?" Edward had snuck up behind me and was now sitting next to me on the bench.

"Waiting for her wonderful boyfriend to come along," I replied with a grin, turning for a kiss.

"What's in the bags?" he asked.

"None of your business," I said. "Can we leave them in your car though?"

Edward reached down and picked a couple of my bags up. "Sure can!"

We went to a little deli for lunch and had fresh sandwiches with fresh-squeezed juice. After lunch we went back to Edward's car and I made sure than none of my purchases were going to get broken in the trunk.

"To the zoo?" he asked.

"That's the plan," I said back, watching the city go by through the window.

We parked at the zoo and Edward left his tie and suit jacket in the car. We spent half an hour watching the sea lions play before moving on to the penguins.

"They're so funny looking!" I said with a smile.

"Have you seen 'Happy Feet'?" Edward asked.

"Pffft! It's a kid's movie!" I retorted.

"I _own_ that kid's movie," he replied. "And this, coming from the girl who was reading Harry Potter yesterday?"

"Umm…wanna watch it tonight?" I said, feeling bad.

"It's ok, I think we'll have more on our minds tonight that kid's movies," he murmured in my ear, making me shiver.

We spent an hour wandering around the rest of the exhibits, stopping for longer to watch the bears, lions and monkeys.

"I always wanted a pet monkey," he told me as we watched them play.

"Like Michael Jackson?" I asked with a cheeky grin.

"Maybe not so much," he said back, squeezing my waist as we moved on.

It was just after 3 when we left the zoo.

"Did you still want to go to Garfield Park?" Edward asked as we arrived back at the Volvo.

"Do we have time? I'd like to see it," I replied.

"Of course we have time honey! They're open till 5 – let's go see some plants." Edward put the car in gear and we arrived soon after.

It was worth the visit – I was totally absorbed in the beauty as we walked through the conservatory.

"You are breathtaking," Edward whispered to me as we walked along, hand in hand.

I stopped and leaned into him for a hug. "You're pretty spectacular yourself," I mumbled into his chest.

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" he asked as we continued along.

"What's the house specialty?" I countered.

"Something with pasta?" It was a question, definitely not an answer.

"Whatever you'd like to cook, I'm happy to eat," I told him. "Did we need to stop to get anything on the way home?"

It was Edward's turn to stop and he pulled me down onto a nearby seat. "Say that again."

"Did we need to stop to get anything on the way home?" I repeated, confused.

He smiled at me – a soft, soppy smile. "I like the way that sounds."

All of a sudden I got it. "We and home?"

"We and home," he confirmed.

We sat there, lost in the moment, until I felt a few drops of rain hit my face. I turned my face to the sky and grinned. "It's about to pour – we'd better make a move!"

By the time we got back to the car we were both soaked. We collapsed into the leather seats in gales of laughter. "You look like a drowned rat!" Edward proclaimed.

I turned to insult him back but my words got lost on the way from my brain to my mouth. He was wearing a white shirt and it was sticking to his body in all the right ways. Add to that the soaked hair dripping in his eyes… I shook my head to break myself from my drooling but it didn't engage my brain filter.

"And you look damn hot," I ended up saying.

He looked confused for all of two seconds before leaning across and kissing me deeply. "Maybe we should go home and warm up in the shower?" he suggested.

I nodded my head. "How far is it from here to there?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

After yet another long shower Edward directed me to make myself comfortable in the living room. I curled up in the recliner again with Harry.

"Now don't you go falling asleep," Edward teased as he stuck his head in the room.

I poked my tongue out at him as he retreated. For the next half hour, I heard cupboards opening and closing, then a fantastic smell started wafting through the house. I got up and walked into the kitchen, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and pressing myself into his back.

"Something smells good – what are we having?" I asked.

He turned and leaned against the bench, pulling me tighter against his body. "Fettuccine carbonara – it's one of my favourites," he answered.

"Mine too – I'm a big bacon fan," I said, snuggling against him and breathing in his scent.

"Are you sniffing me?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Just trying to commit the way you smell to memory," I told him. "And it's not a bad smell," I hurriedly added. "It's just a warm, nice, _Edward_ smell."

He ran his hands up and down my back gently while I continued to breathe him in. "You do realise that it's only tomorrow night that we'll be apart? That I'll be in Seattle on Thursday?"

"I know," I whispered. "But I'll miss you anyway."

Edward dropped a small kiss on the top of my head. "I'll miss you too. Wanna pick me up from the airport?"

"It depends what time your flight gets in – I'm on eight till six so if you fly in late I can…" I was hoping he had a late flight.

"Well, isn't in convenient that I don't fly in till eight your time then?" he said with a smile. "Can you pour us some wine while I serve up?"

He released me and I walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of white and filling two glasses.

The meal was delicious. "If you're going to keep cooking like this, you're going to have a lot of company once you move," I said around a mouthful of pasta.

Edward laid his fork down and reached for my hand. "Bella, if the company is you then I'm all for it," he said softly, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

I blushed and dropped my eyes while mumbling something about him finding someone better once he was settled in Seattle. He let my hand go and came around the table, turning my chair so it was facing him. He dropped onto both knees and took both of my hands in his.

"Bella, look at me," he said, ducking his head so he could look into my down-turned eyes.

I slowly raised my head to look at him. He was looking at me like I was the first girl he'd ever seen, so sweet and loving.

"Bella, I am not going to find 'someone better' once I move. There _is_ no-one better for me than you. I love you and I want to be with you. Why can't you understand that?" he asked.

"I just…" I stopped for a second and gathered my thoughts. "The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. Then you opened your mouth and I also thought you were the most arrogant, obnoxious person I'd ever met. When you came to stay with Alice and me, you were different – it was like you'd grown up or something. And now I'm back to thinking you're gorgeous, but now you're wonderful as well…"

He leaned in and kissed me softly. "How about we both agree that we both think the other is too good for us?" he suggested.

"Deal," I smiled. "Now finish your dinner – we've got Hershey's cupcakes for dessert!"

We finished dinner and ate our cupcakes with coffee. We had our domestic time together washing up and then curled up on the couch again.

"What time does your flight leave tomorrow?" he asked while he twirled a lock of my hair around his finger.

"It goes at six, so I actually get home just before nine Seattle time which isn't too bad," I said. "But I don't want to talk about that now."

I slowly climbed onto his lap and started running my fingers through his glorious hair.

"You are insatiable woman," he growled against my lips.

"And it's all your fault," I replied, nipping gently at his bottom lip while moving my body closer.

"Shall we move this to the bedroom?" he suggested, standing and lifting me with him.

I wrapped my legs firmly around his waist as he carried me into his bedroom and laid me gently on the bed.

Our love making was slow and deliberate. We took time to explore each other more intimately than we had before. After we both climaxed together, we took a quick shower and curled up naked in each other's arms.

"I love you Bella. You _are_ my life now," Edward whispered.

I kissed his chest gently then laid my cheek back against his warm skin. "I love you too honey," I whispered back, intertwining my fingers with his before I drifted off to sleep.

EPOV

When the alarm went off Wednesday morning I wanted nothing more than to pick up the clock and throw it against the wall. I reached over and slapped it until it stopped, then wrapped my arm back around the beautiful woman sleeping on my chest.

"I don't wanna get up," she mumbled sleepily.

I smoothed her hair and kissed her softly on the forehead. "You don't have to honey. I'm not working today so I can spend the day with you, and if you want to sleep in then that's what we'll do."

"Mmm kay," she breathed, curling in tighter to my side.

I slowly reached out and flicked the alarm off altogether, then rearranged the covers over us and drifted back off to sleep.

I woke again just after 10 to find Bella still curled against my side. Her left leg was thrown over my body and her arm was wrapped right around me, her hand curling around my side and under my back. I squeezed her gently and couldn't help the way my body reacted as she rubbed against me.

"Bella? Are you awake?" I asked her, praying that she would say yes.

"That depends. Is there something worth waking up for?" I felt her smile against my body as she rubbed against me again.

"You'd better believe there is," I growled, flipping her and laying my full weight on top of her body.

"And good morning to you too," she murmured in my ear, biting and sucking on the lobe as she thrust her hips up into mine.

I responded instinctively and drove myself into her, moaning loudly at the sensation.

"Oh fuck," Bella moaned, digging her short nails in to my shoulders. "More!"

I took control of myself for a brief minute and whispered, "Bella, I'm not wearing a condom."

She looked at me with heavy eyes and a smile that made me that much harder. "I trust you Edward. I'm on the pill so we don't have to worry about _that_." She tilted her hips to mine again. "Now give me more!"

"I don't want to hurt you Bella," I said to her, kissing her softly.

"You won't hurt me," she said, grinding into me again.

I couldn't help it – I let myself go and drove into her hard. She moaned and her back arched off the bed, so I took the opportunity to grab her legs and hold her up, kneeling on the bed so I could go even deeper.

Bella stretched her arms towards me, grabbing at any part of my body she managed to make contact with. I eventually laid her back down and continued driving into her as she wrapped her legs firmly around my waist.

"I can't hold it any more Edward," she panted.

"So don't," I growled, gently biting her neck just below her ear.

Her whole body tensed as she came apart in my arms and I followed soon after. We lay there, tangled up in each other with our foreheads resting against each other. As we settled, Bella stretched up and kissed me.

I smiled and kissed her back. "Shower?" I suggested.

"I can't go again," she replied.

"Not like that," I said, kissing her on the nose as I finally rolled off her.

We shared another long shower that morning, washing each other gently. I dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt with my Docs and Bella pulled on her jeans and a camisole that matched the dress she'd worn on our date with a lightweight jacket.

"How much stuff did Alice actually make for you?" I asked with a smile as I helped her pack her suitcase.

"You've seen it all now," she replied.

"Remind me to thank her tomorrow," I joked.

Bella carefully folded the bag of goodies she'd bought at the Hershey's store and placed it between two layers of clothing. "I don't want it to get broken!" she said indignantly when I laughed at her.

"Did you want your cupcakes to take home?" I offered.

"Only if you have something more stable than a cardboard bakery box to pack them in!" she replied. As I was walking out the door, she called out, "Save three – two for today and one for you for tomorrow!"

I did as I was told and packed the remaining 7 cakes into a container for Bella, which she expertly packed into her suitcase. We closed the locks and I carried it out to the hallway, ready for when she had to leave.

"Will you come to the airport with me?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Of course I will," I said, rushing to wrap my arms around her. "I'll follow you out and wait until you're in the sky before I leave."

"Okay," she said against my chest.

It was then that I realised she was crying. "Don't cry honey – we'll be together again tomorrow!"

"I know," she sniffled. "But what about after that?"

I led her over to the couch and pulled her into my lap. "After that, we'll be apart for a few weeks but then I'll be in Seattle and we can see each other every day. And every night if you want to as well."

"Edward, I'm not ready to move in with you," she said quietly.

"I'm not asking you to, Bella. But I want you to know that you will always be welcome. You don't need an invitation, I don't even need to be there – if you want to be in my house, you can be." I lifted her chin to look in her eyes and smiled when I saw how happy she was.

She opened her mouth to reply but stalled when her stomach gurgled loudly. She blushed and clapped a hand over her still-open mouth. "I'm sorry! Talk about ruining the moment!"

I pulled her hand away and kissed her palm. "It's not ruined. Let's go make lunch together?"

Bella nodded and got to her feet, offering me her hand. We made sandwiches together and ate them at the breakfast bar. We washed up together and I was hanging the tea towel back on the rack when Bella asked me a surprising question.

"Do you have any photos of you as a baby?"

"Where did that come from?" I asked, confused.

"Well, Alice has photos of the three of you as little kids, but I've never seen baby photos of you and Emmett as babies," she clarified.

"Well, I've got an album somewhere…it might be packed though." It was a lie – I knew exactly where it was.

"Can you have a look? Please?" she wheedled, pulling out the puppy dog eyes.

I melted. "You know, I think it might still be on the bookshelf…come with me."

I sat her on the lounge and retrieved the baby blue album from the top shelf. The next hour was possibly the longest of my life as I sat and listened to Bella talk about how cute I was. The most mortifying moment came when she turned the page to find six-month old me smiling up at her without a stitch of clothing on.

She finally had enough and laid the album on the coffee table, scooting back on the couch and leaning her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and we sat there, not saying anything until I heard my cell phone ringing from the bedroom.

"I'm sorry, it's work, I should take it," I said, standing up and walking quickly to answer my phone. It was Embry, about one of the few cases I was still handling. "Can it wait till tomorrow? I'm in all day," I told him.

"Well, it could, except Tanya has arranged a meeting with the client for you at nine tomorrow…" he trailed off.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to the airport with Bella this afternoon, I'll drop by the office on my way home and get the paperwork. Can you lock it in the combination filing cabinet for me so Tanya can't stuff it up any further?"

"Done. See you tomorrow boss," Embry said as I hung up.

I walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch next to Bella. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Just a certain incompetent member of my staff," I told her. "Nothing for you to worry about."

All too soon it was time to go to the airport. I loaded Bella's bag into her rental car and shut the lid of the trunk. "Bugger! I think I left a couple of things in the bathroom…can you let me back in?" she asked.

I unlocked the door and Bella raced down toward my bedroom. I leaned in the doorway to wait for her and she was back a few seconds later with her hair brush and a pair of earrings in her hand. "Found 'em!" she said, walking past me and out the door.

We hit a bit of traffic on the way to the airport but still made good time. Bella returned her car and I carried her bag to the check-in counter for her. She collected her ticket and we sat to wait for her flight to be called.

"Promise you'll call me when you get home?" I asked. "Which reminds me, how _are_ you getting home from the airport?"

"I told Alice I'd call her when I get in. It takes forever for your bags to come around so if I call her as soon as I'm in the terminal she should be there about the same time I get my bag." She had it all worked out.

The loudspeaker came to life, announcing Bella's flight. We stood together and I saw her lip quiver. "No tears honey – I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" I reminded her gently.

She nodded and I saw her swallow before she threw herself into my arms. "I'll miss you," she said, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"I'll miss you too. I packed you one of my t-shirts to sleep in tonight," I told her with a smile.

"Really?" She grinned up at me. "Because I left one of mine under your pillow."

We both laughed and then the final call came over the PA. "I guess it's time to go," she said, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok? Have a safe flight, and call me when you get in," I reminded her.

"I will. I love you," she said, stretching up and kissing me fiercely.

"Love you too," I replied, kissing her one last time before letting her go to walk through the gate.

I stood near a window and watched as her plane taxied to the end of the runway and took off.

As I walked back to my car, I called Alice and asked her to be waiting at the airport for Bella, instead of waiting for her to call. Alice just laughed at me and informed me that was her plan all along. I thanked her and hung up and I slid into the Volvo and headed for the office.

It was blissfully quiet as I got the papers from the filing cabinet and locked my office behind me. 20 minutes later I was home again and walked into my bedroom to get rid of my boots.

In the middle of the bed was a bag of Hershey's kisses. I picked them up and pulled off the note. I smiled as I read it;

_Dear Edward,_

_I know it's only one day this time but soon we'll be apart for a few weeks. These are so you can have a kiss from me every day until we're together again._

_I love you._

_Bella._

**A/N:** All together now…awww. These two are just too cute.

The next chapter will hopefully be ready over the weekend.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Sorry this didn't go up on the weekend – I got distracted by The Sims…again. I've had to cut this off right as Bella and Edward arrive for the 4th of July celebrations or it would have gone on forever. Next chapter should be up in a day or two.

Happy reading!

Chapter 33

BPOV

I stepped off the flight and followed the crowd down the ramp and into the terminal, checking the baggage carousel number as I passed through the door. I turned to the left to head for carousel number four and was blindsided by a hug.

"Hi Bella!" I'd know that voice anywhere, even if I couldn't see. _Alice_.

"Alice! I told you I'd call you when I got in!" I said, not really annoyed.

"And I didn't listen to you because I wanted to make sure you were ok as soon as you got off the plane. Plus, Edward called and asked me to be here," she filled me in with a smile.

"Really?" My smile outshone hers a thousand fold. "I'm just going to give him a quick call, let him know I got here safe and sound."

Alice walked off to the baggage carousel to keep an eye out for my bag while I called Edward. He thanked me for his kisses and I promised to call once I was in bed.

I found Alice in the crowd and waited another half hour until my bag finally came around. Twenty minutes after that we were back at home. I pulled the cupcakes out of my luggage and waved them at Alice.

"Look what I brought back!" I teased.

"Are those Hershey's cupcakes?" she asked, almost drooling.

"Yep – what's it worth to ya?" I held them out of her reach.

"Ummm…fresh brewed French vanilla coffee?" she offered.

"Deal!" I followed her into the kitchen and transferred two of the cupcakes onto plates while Alice brewed the coffee. Just the smell made me smile so I had to fill her in on breakfast in the hotel.

I told her all about my trip, making sure I gave her a blow-by-blow description of dinner on the first night and Edward's opinion on my clothes.

"Ooh…come see!" she squealed when I was done, jumping up and leading me into the dining room. "It's 'Rose'!"

Laid out on the table were the counterparts to my 'Bella' range, made in red with black lace.

"They look amazing Ali – has Rosalie seen them yet?" I asked, running my fingers along the red nightgown with black trim.

"Nope! She had the fitting like yours but I'm keeping hers a secret until Friday – then she can have them for Emmett on Friday night!" Alice giggled.

"They seem to be a bit…racier…than mine? Lower and higher cut?" I observed.

"They are, but it embodies Rosalie, don't you think?" Alice asked with a devilish smirk.

"You're right. But I don't think she'll be worrying about a nightgown if Emmett…" I trailed off and slapped my hand over my mouth.

"Bella, is Emmett going to propose on Friday night?" Alice's voice was deadly calm and she was advancing on me like a predator.

All I could do was nod. "I promised I wouldn't tell, so technically I didn't," I warned her.

We broke into identical grins then and jumped around squealing like school girls.

"We have so much to do!" Alice declared. "You'll be at work so you won't have time to cook, but Rose and Esme and I can do it all…we'll just have to buy stuff. And we'll have to make sure there's extra champagne…and real glasses…and maybe some roses to decorate the picnic rugs with…."

She was off. She dug into the drawer for a notepad and pencil and started making a list.

"Do you mind if I go to bed, Al?" I chanced. "I have to be at work tomorrow and I'd like to call Edward before I go to sleep."

She waved her hand dismissively so I took that as I yes. I took a quick shower and unpacked, dressing in Edward's t-shirt for bed. I set my alarm for 6am then turned out the light and picked up my phone.

"Hey there," he said sleepily.

"Did I wake you?" I asked, looking at the clock. It was 11pm, making it 1 in the morning in Chicago.

"It's ok – you're worth it," he said.

"I just wanted to call and say good night, and I can't wait to see you tomorrow," I said softly.

"I can't wait to see you either honey," he mumbled back.

I chuckled at him and replied, "Ok, well I'll hang up now so you can go back to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow night at the airport. I love you."

"Love you too," he breathed. I got the feeling he was already asleep again so I hung up and curled up to sleep.

_Thursday morning_

I woke as my alarm went off, the weatherman spouting that it was going to be fine and sunny. _Sunny? Yeah right,_ I thought as I dragged myself to the shower.

By the time I was showered and dressed I could smell coffee in the kitchen. I walked in and was amazed to find Alice in her pyjamas, pouring two cups of coffee.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked, sticking a bagel in the toaster.

"I have so much to do! I want to get Rose's stuff finished before tomorrow, I need to pick Carlisle and Esme up at the airport at two and I have to finish my shopping list for the food for tomorrow!" she said in a rush. "I'm off for a shower!"

I shook my head as she danced towards the bathroom, coffee cup in hand. I ate my bagel and threw together a salad for lunch, wrapping a cupcake to go with it.

Alice finished in the bathroom and I quickly cleaned my teeth. "Did you want a ride to work?" I asked, sticking my head into the dining room.

"Nope, I'll catch the bus, but thanks!" Alice replied around a mouthful of dressmaker's pins.

"Hey, how are you picking your parents up? You don't have a car," I stated.

"Jasper's," she answered with a shrug. "I'm going to walk to the hospital and pick it up, then pick them up and take them to their hotel. Their rental car will be there and I'll drop Jasper's back at the hospital and catch the bus home tonight," she finished with a smile.

"Okey day. I was thinking I might make a baked cheesecake tonight for tomorrow?" I offered.

"That would be awesome – we all know its Emmett's favourite," Alice answered with a grin.

I said goodbye a few minutes later and arrived at the hospital a few minutes before 8. The first two hours of my shift flew by while I got up to speed on the new patients and spent some time with each of my interns.

Jasper arrived at 10 and once he'd organised himself we snuck off for a coffee.

"So all is well in the land of Bella?" he teased with a smile.

"It's good…it's all good!" I shot back at him, laughing.

"I'm glad he makes you happy Bells," Jazz said sincerely. "You deserve someone who'll treat you right."

"If we weren't at work, I'd hug you right now Jazz," I said, blinking back tears. "But it'll have to wait until tonight."

We talked work while we finisher our coffees and then headed back up to the trauma ward. We went off in different directions for the rest of the morning, meeting up at 1 to eat lunch at the nurse's station with Eric.

"Someone has that 'new love' glow," he teased me as I stuck a forkful of salad in my mouth.

Jasper backed him up. "You really are glowing Bella."

I blushed and told them both to shut up. Jasper got called away by one of his interns then so I told Eric about Chicago. I recommended the observatory and the zoo if he ever went there.

The afternoon was quiet and after completing my final rounds for the day with my interns I headed off to find Jasper. He was in with an elderly patient, observing while Dr Roberts, one of his interns, changed a dressing on a bed sore the patient had developed. "Mallory has been neglecting the poor lady," Jasper whispered.

I told him I'd see him later at our place and left for the day. After parking the truck downstairs I got into the lift, only to have it stop on the ground floor. I grumbled to myself but stopped as Carlisle and Esme stepped in.

"Bella!" Esme greeted me, enveloping me in a motherly hug.

"Hi Esme," I replied hugging her back. Once she released me, Carlisle stepped in and gave me a quick squeeze.

"It's good to see you," he said. "Looks like Edward has been treating you right!"

I was saved any further embarrassment when the doors opened on our floor. I led the way down the hall and unlocked the door.

"Honey, I'm home!" I called out. "And I brought guests!"

Alice came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and hugged her parents and then me. "Why are you wearing an apron?" I whispered to her.

"Mum, dad, take a seat in the living room. Dinner's not to far away," Alice told her parents. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me into the kitchen.

"I'm wearing an apron so it looks like the Indian I ordered in was cooked by me and not Babu down at the Taj," she said quietly.

I giggled and shook my head. "There's homemade butter chicken and Rogan josh in the freezer Alice – you should've told me you were having your parents over!"

"Go shower so you can eat with us," she directed me with a flick of her spatula.

I showered quickly and walked into the dining room just as Alice served up.

"What time is Edward flying in?" Carlisle asked.

"His flight arrives at eight, so we should be back here by nine," I replied.

"He's staying with the two of you again?" This time it was Esme with the question.

Alice cleared her throat daintily. "Can we not embarrass Bella any further please? She and Edward are happy together and that's all that matters."

I shot her a thankful glance and changed the subject, asking Carlisle about his work in Utah. He gave us details about the case and the passion for his work really showed. Esme mentioned that she'd like to move back to Olympia permanently when the case was resolved, and Carlisle mentioned that he was thinking about coming back to Virginia Mason as head of neurosurgery. That news excited Alice because it meant her parents would move back to Seattle.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, alerting me to the fact that it was already 7:30. I excused myself and quickly brushed my teeth before heading to the airport.

Edward's flight arrived right on time and I was in his arms soon after he landed. We retrieved his suitcase and walked hand in hand to my truck.

"You look tired," I told him once we were in the cab. "I'm sorry I woke you this morning."

"That's not why I'm tired Bella. I had a long day with Tanya today and I'm just glad that I'm here with you now," he answered, leaning over and kissing me softly.

"I'm glad you're here too," I replied, starting the engine and reversing out of the parking space. "Your parents were at my place when I left – Alice invited them for dinner."

"I love them and all but I hope they're gone when we get back. I really just want to say hi to Alice, take a shower and sleep," he said, rubbing his eyes.

Edward got his wish as his parents had left by the time we got home. Alice attacked him with a fierce hug and only disentangled herself when Jasper came in the door a few minutes after us. Edward and Jasper shook hands and made small talk before Alice told him to go to bed.

I grabbed him a towel and he headed for the shower while I took his stuff into my room. Once he came back to the bedroom I went and cleaned my teeth and then changed into his t-shirt from the night before. He smiled at me as I slid into bed where he was dressed in cotton boxers and a white t-shirt. I quickly set my alarm and settled into his arms.

"Do you really have to go to work tomorrow?" he whispered into my hair.

I nodded against his chest. "I do, but Alice and Jazz have the day off so I'm sure they'll keep you occupied," I whispered back.

The next thing I knew my alarm had gone off and the weatherman was once again assuring me the day would be fine and sunny. I turned it off and shot out of bed, brewing coffee and mixing the ingredients for my baked cheesecake.

Alice came into the kitchen ten minutes later, just as I was putting the cheesecake in the oven. "Can you take this out for me when the timer goes off?" I asked her.

"Mmm hmm," she answered through her coffee.

I grabbed a cereal bar from the cupboard and took it with my half-finished coffee and a full mug for Edward back to my bedroom. I coaxed him awake with it and swallowed my cereal bar in three mouthfuls before taking off for a shower. When I made it back to the bedroom, Edward was laying on his back with his arms folded behind his head. "Penny for your thoughts," I teased.

"I was just waiting for my beautiful girlfriend to come back," he said with a gentle smile.

I crawled across my side of the bed to plant a kiss on his lips. "I have to go soon," I mumbled as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, deepening our kiss.

"Can I come visit later?" he asked, not loosening his grasp on my waist.

"I don't see why not – Alice and Jasper will probably come too," I told him. I snuggled into his arms for a few minutes before looking at the clock.

"If I don't go now I'm going to be late," I complained, stretching up and kissing him one more time before extracting myself from his hold and rolling off the bed. I quickly laced up my runners and bent over to kiss him goodbye.

"Bella? Aren't you forgetting something? Aren't I taking you to work?" he asked, swinging his legs out of the bed. Sneaky rat had dressed while I was in the shower and was now pulling a baseball cap over his bed hair. "Alice packed this for you," he continued, passing me a small bag of clothes. "She could see you were flustered over your cheesecake and had a feeling you'd forget the plans for today."

I kissed him on the cheek and walked to the kitchen to thank Alice. "Not a prob," she replied, hugging me. "Now get or you'll be late!"

It felt strange sitting in the passenger seat of my truck but I loved seeing Edward driving it. With a few directions he pulled in the parking lot at the hospital five minutes before 8. I leaned over and kissed him goodbye for the second time that morning.

"Love you," he called as I walked away.

"Love you too," I yelled back.

The morning flew by once again. Jasper's elderly lady with the bedsore had worsened during the night so I supervised a debridement. She seemed to be resting more comfortably after some pain meds so I made a note in her chart to keep her on them for a further 48 hours.

Two other patients were ready to be released so I stood back and watched while my interns did the final examinations and signed the paperwork once they were done.

Before I knew it, Jessica was calling me from the nurse's station. "Doctor Swan, you have a phone call," she yelled at me from the middle of the corridor.

I walked up to the desk and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Bells, we're here for lunch. Meet us in the cafeteria?" It was Alice.

"I'll be down in five, just need to take care of something here first," I replied before hanging up.

I walked quickly to the resident's office. I hadn't seen anyone today but I didn't care who was on. I knocked and pushed the door open to find Dr Hussey asleep on the desk.

"Doctor Hussey?" I asked quietly.

His head snapped up. "Sorry Doctor Swan, did you say something?" he asked, looking sheepish.

"I can come back," I offered.

"No, no, it's all right. My youngest daughter is teething so no-one is getting any sleep," he explained, standing up and stretching. "What can I do for you?"

"I actually need you to supervise while I have a go at a nurse," I said.

"Lead the way," he sighed, smiling to let me know he wasn't frustrated with me.

"Jessica?" We walked up to the nurse's station. As usual, I got a grunt in response. "Jessica, I need to talk to you about your behaviour just now," I tried again. She muttered something under her breath.

"What was that Ms Stanley? We didn't hear you," Dr Hussey shot at her.

Jessica's head snapped up and she went bright red. "Doctor Hussey! I didn't realise you were standing there!" she stammered.

"Doctor Swan was speaking to you," he admonished her.

"You were saying?" she asked, turning her face towards me.

"A few minutes ago, you took a call for me, yes?" I questioned her.

"Yes," she sighed.

"Look, cut the attitude and this will be a whole lot easier, ok?" I snapped.

She reeled back like she'd been slapped.

I continued, "Rather than taking a message, or walking down the corridor to get me, you yelled along the corridor, yes?"

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Do you really think that was appropriate, given that we work in trauma?" I was hitting my stride now.

Jessica shrugged. "I guess not."

"Doctor Swan, did you need to meet someone? I can handle this if you'd like to go," Dr Hussey said to me.

"Are you sure?" I didn't want to leave him with my mess.

"Ms Stanley has been chastised for this before – I'll handle it," he said quietly, turning his back.

"Thanks," I said, walking off to the cafeteria.

I spent half an hour with Alice, Jasper and Edward, catching a few evil glances from Lauren Mallory. "The sex doctors are in," Jasper quipped. "Well, at least one of them!"

I grabbed a coffee for myself and one for Dr Hussey before I headed back up to the trauma floor, making a show of kissing Edward goodbye just as Lauren walked past. I ended up sharing an elevator with her.

"That's some man candy you've got there," she commented with a sneer.

"At least he can keep his pants on in the workplace," I replied airily, stepping of the elevator and heading for the resident's office again.

I knocked and carefully opened the door. "Doctor Swan, just the person I wanted to see. I'm filling in another warning sheet for Ms Stanley…is that coffee?" Dr Hussey almost jumped out of his chair.

"I don't know that it works for teething babies, but I hear it does wonders for tired doctors," I joked, handing over the tall cup.

"You're a saint," he said, taking a deep drink. We spent the next fifteen minutes nutting out the right wording for the warning and the left the office.

"Two men in one day, Doctor Swan? And people say _I'm_ the hospital bike," Lauren said behind me. I turned to face her and broke into a huge grin, because walking up behind her was Dr Johns.

"Doctor Mallory!" he expounded. "My office! Now!"

She jumped a good two feet in the air and scurried off. Hussey and I had a good laugh before he headed off to the Director of Nursing's office to hand over his paperwork about Jessica.

The afternoon was quiet. We had two new admissions that were handled by Lauren's interns with my supervision as she hadn't returned. Given that their teacher was sub-par, I was impressed with both their bedside manner and knowledge and skills.

At 5:30 I rounded up my interns along with Lauren's and rounded for the last time that day, signing off on a few medication orders before dismissing everyone right on six.

I sent Edward a quick text, letting him know I was just about to take a shower and I'd be down in 10 minutes. I threw myself in the shower, dressed and ran down five flights of stairs instead of waiting for the lift. I threw myself into the passenger seat of my truck and leaned over to give Edward a quick kiss.

"Directions?" he said.

I directed him to the parking garage nearest the park we were planning on watching the fireworks from. He parked and we jumped out, locking the truck and headed for the celebrations.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** Ok, so it's been forever and I'm sorry! Work has been hectic and then there was Easter with the family…but enough excuses. This chapter is really long, so I've ended up splitting it in half. The second half will be shorter than the first but this was a good place to break it.

The picnic and proposal took a lot more than I originally planned, as did Bella's day at work.

Happy reading!

Chapter 34

We walked hand in hand the three blocks to the park and found Edward's family, along with Rosalie and Jasper in a prime spot to watch the fireworks from. Alice and Esme both stood and came over to hug us as we approached while Emmett and Carlisle continued unpacking the four picnic baskets scattered around.

"How much food did you guys bring?" I asked Alice as Edward went to greet his father and brother.

"Enough," she shrugged, turning to pull a six pack of beer and a bottle of wine from a cooler. "Real glasses!" she announced with a grin, handing one each to myself, Rose and Esme. She uncorked the wine and poured us each a glass, while Jasper reached over and handed the beers out to the boys.

We got stuck into the food then and it was amazing. Alice had always told me what a great cook Esme was and dinner proved it. There was a cold baked chicken and half a ham, along with four or five different salads and what was definitely home-made bread.

The sound of a voice on a loudspeaker drew our attention to the street behind us. We all turned to see a black open-backed Jeep driving along, with a guy in the back letting people know there was an hour until the fireworks.

"Emmett drives a Jeep!" Alice, Rose, Jasper, Edward and I chorused. Emmett rolled his eyes and Carlisle and Esme looked confused. Rose explained it to them and soon they were laughing along with the rest of us.

We spent the next hour eating dessert. In addition to my baked cheesecake there was a black forest cake and tiramisu. Alice opened a second bottle of wine and the boys opened a second six pack of beer. We were all relaxing when the Jeep came past again with a fifteen minute countdown, which earned another chorus of, "Emmett drives a Jeep!", much to Emmett's disgust.

We stayed facing the street, each of us girls leaning against our partners to keep us sitting upright. I stole a glance at Emmett and he looked a little pale, but I knew he'd be fine.

The fireworks started right on time and they were nothing short of spectacular. I kept glancing at Emmett out of the corner of my eye so I could grab everyone's attention at the right moment. Twenty minutes later, I saw him gently lift Rosalie away from his shoulder and reach into his pocket. I kicked Jasper in the butt to get his attention and motioned toward Emmett with my head when he turned around. He quickly whispered in Alice's ear and she turned towards Emmett as well. I elbowed Edward in the ribs and inclined my head in Rosalie's direction and Esme caught my movement and alerted Carlisle.

As the big finale of fireworks shot into the sky, Emmett knelt in front of Rosalie and opened a velvet covered box. None of us could hear what he said over the noise around us but the look of love in his eyes and the surprise on Rose's face was enough. He pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger, never taking his eyes off her face. I could sense Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, and Edward all holding their breath along with me. A broad smile spread across Rosalie's face as she nodded once, almost imperceptibly, and then Emmett was on his feet, swinging her around.

"She said yes!" he boomed, audible even over the fireworks and the other people in the park.

Alice and I both squealed and jumped up, rushing over to hug Rose as soon as Emmett put her down. Carlisle and Esme embraced Emmett and then Rosalie, and Edward and Jasper joined in soon after.

"Champagne!" Alice declared, pulling a bottle and eight champagne flutes out of a second cooler.

Once everyone had a glass, Carlisle proposed a toast to Emmett and Rosalie. "May you be as happy together and Esme and I are!" he announced. We all raised our glasses and clinked them together.

"I also have a toast," Esme announced. We all turned towards her. "To Rosalie, Jasper and Bella – you have completed our family and made Emmett, Alice and Edward so happy!"

I blushed as Carlisle, Emmett, Alice and Edward echoed Esme with, "To Rosalie, Jasper and Bella!" and we all had another sip of champagne.

We all sat back down after that and chatted for a while before Alice and Jasper started packing up the food. I yawned and tried to hide it with my hand.

"Edward, you should get Bella home – she's been working all day and has to go in again tomorrow," Esme prompted.

"It's ok, I'm not that tired," I lied. I yawned again and Esme and Edward laughed.

"Go!" she said with a smile. "We'll take care of the cleaning up."

We stood and collected our belongings. Alice came over to give me a hug goodbye. "I'm staying at Jasper's tonight since he has the night off, so I'll see you at home tomorrow night, ok? I was thinking we could go out tomorrow night, maybe dinner with mum and dad and then us kids can head out after?"

"Sounds good to me," I said with a smile.

We waved goodbye to the others and headed back to my truck. Edward unlocked the passenger door and I climbed in and leaned my head back against the seat.

"You look tired," he said as he started the engine and headed towards my apartment.

"I am," I admitted, not opening my eyes.

"How about I run you a hot bath when we get back to your place and you can soak for a while before bed?" he offered

"Mmm," was my only reply.

"Or I could just tuck you into bed?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm," I mumbled.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, I was laying on my bed and Edward was taking my shoes off. I sat up slowly and he smiled at me.

"Hi there," he said, leaning over and giving me a gentle kiss.

"How did we get up here?" I asked, not sure I was even awake.

Edward dropped my shoes on the floor and came and sat next to me. "You fell asleep in the truck so I carried you up in the elevator," he said with a smile. "The deadbolt was a bit tricky with only one hand but I managed."

I smiled back at him and kissed his cheek. "I'm exhausted – do you mind if we just sleep tonight?"

"Sleep is never a bad thing Bella. As long as I have you in my arms I'm happy," He hugged me gently and then released me. "Now get yourself in your jammies and get into bed!"

He walked out of my bedroom and I heard the bathroom door close a few seconds later. I changed into my pyjamas and set out my scrubs and a long-sleeved t-shirt for the next day.

"Bathroom's all yours," Edward said as he came back into the room. I shuffled down the hall and cleaned my teeth and washed my face before heading back to bed.

Edward was already under the covers when I walked in and I quickly joined him, snuggling up to his side.

"I love you, Bella Swan," he whispered against my hair.

I reached across his body and pulled his left hand across his chest, intertwining our fingers over his heart. "I love you too, Edward Cullen," I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep.

All too soon, my alarm went off. The weatherman was predicting another fine and sunny day with a warm night as I slapped at the radio until it stopped.

"Morning grumpy bum," Edward teased, wrapping his arm around me from behind.

I grunted at him before burying my face in my pillow.

"Come on, it's not that bad. I'll make you breakfast," he offered.

"Mmkay," I replied, my voice muffled by my pillow.

I kicked the covers off and rolled over, smiling despite my bad mood when I saw his gorgeous face smiling at me.

"That's better – you're cute when you're grumpy, but you're downright beautiful when you smile," he whispered, leaning in and kissing me.

I kissed him back and pulled myself in closer to him, pressing my body against his.

"Do you have time?" he mumbled in my ear.

I quickly turned my head and checked the time. It was half past six, I needed to leave in an hour. "If you make my breakfast and _don't_ join me in the shower, yes," I replied.

Half an hour later I made it to the shower and it was one of the quickest showers of my life. My hair went into the obligatory ponytail and I rushed back to my room, pulling on my scrubs and tying the pants and I headed to the kitchen. I walked in as Edward popped two English muffins out of the toaster. "Coffee's on the table," he said over his shoulder.

I sat and drank deeply from my mug, admiring his bare back and the way he looked in his grey sweats as he worked at the kitchen counter.

"Stop perving," he teased, turning around with breakfast. "Bacon and eggs, quick style," he announced.

He'd heaped scrambled eggs on the English muffins and placed two rashers of bacon on top of the eggs before putting the muffin top on. "Mmm bacon," I almost drooled as he placed one in front of me.

We ate quickly and I asked what his plans were for the day. "Study," he replied once he swallowed his food. "I figured since you don't have to work until tomorrow night, and Alice wants to go out tonight that I'd study all day today so I can spend tomorrow with you, then I can do some last-minute stuff tomorrow night after you go to work before the first part of the exam on Monday."

"Is the law that different?" I asked.

"Yes and no," he answered with a shrug. "I just have to make sure I'm across it all."

"You'll do fine," I said with a smile, standing and taking my plate and mug over to the sink.

"I'll clean up," Edward said, surprising me by wrapping his arms around me from behind. "You finish getting ready for work."

I turned and stretched up to give him a quick kiss and then headed back to the bathroom to clean my teeth. Edward was still in the kitchen when I came back.

"I made you lunch," he said, looking at the floor. "There were no leftovers so I made you a salad sandwich." His face was bright red.

I tilted his chin up and gave him a sappy smile. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me," I told him softly. "And it means I don't have to eat cafeteria food!"

I was out the door five minutes later and at the hospital ten minutes before my shift started. I headed to the nurse's station to find Jessica sitting there. _This should be interesting,_ I thought to myself. Before I had a chance to speak, Jessica looked up.

"Good morning Doctor Swan. How are you?" she asked.

I caught myself before my jaw hit the floor and replied, "I'm fine thank you Jessica, how are you?"

"Fine thank you," she replied. "Doctor Mallory has called to say she's running half an hour late, would you mind taking the critical patients this morning?"

"That's fine," I said, taking the five charts she handed me. I quickly flipped through them and prioritised them for rounds.

"Morning Doctor Swan," I head Dr Taylor call from behind me.

I turned and smiled as the blonde attending came to a stop at the nurse's station. "Hi Doctor Taylor," I replied.

"Did Jessica let you know Doctor Mallory will be late this morning?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

I smiled again. "She did, I have the five critical cases here," I said, indicating the charts in my hand.

"Let me know if you need any help – I'll take the five non-critical cases with Doctor Mallory's interns and get them started," she said, taking the other charts from the counter.

My interns had all arrived by eight so I handed over the charts. "Five new cases today guys, all classed as critical. I'll give you fifteen minutes to go over them and then we'll round, ok?"

They all nodded and I turned to head to the locker room for my water bottle when I heard my name being called.

"Doctor Swan?" It was Dr Dart Ellis, my one female intern. I'd asked her about her unusual first name on her first shift with me and she'd rolled her eyes, telling me it was a long story.

"Yes, Doctor Ellis?" I walked over to her.

She looked quickly over her shoulder at the retreating forms of Drs Smith and Campese. "Well, I just wanted to say, well, we all really enjoy working with you and Doctor Whitlock. We were wondering if there was any way that we could avoid working with Doctors Mallory and Newton?"

"Did the boys put you up to this?" I asked with a smile, leading her over to a couple of chairs against the wall.

She blushed and smiled. "They thought it might be better, coming from me, since I'm a female," she admitted.

"Have either Doctor Mallory or Doctor Newton done anything inappropriate?" I asked.

"Only when Doctor Newton asked Roger…I mean, Doctor Smith, to do something on his own," she replied.

I thought for a minute before replying. "I don't think I can have you specifically assigned to myself or Doctor Whitlock, so I suggest you guys work hard for all of the doctors, regardless of who they are. I've been nothing but impressed with the three of you in comparison to some of the other interns, and I hope that's a reflection on the fact that most of your training has come from Doctor Whitlock and myself."

"That's fair," she said. "I'd better go read those charts so the boys don't show me up!"

I smiled as she walked away, pondering her concerns. I decided to raise it with Dr Taylor later on in the day if I got the chance.

Fifteen minutes later I rounded up my interns and we went to the first patient. I introduced myself and turned to my interns. "Who's presenting?" I asked.

Doctor Smith stepped forward, opening the chart in his hands. "Monica Dwyer, age twenty seven, third degree burns to seventy percent of her right hand. Treated last night in the burn unit, moved to trauma this morning for rest and observation. Ms Dwyer is a haemophiliac so grafting is being delayed while the burn unit researches the safest way to undergo the procedure."

"Very good Doctor Smith," I praised with a smile. "Treatment?"

"Low dose morphine, dressings to be changed six hourly, check-up by burn unit staff every eighteen hours," he read from the chart.

"Thank you Doctor Smith," I said. I turned to the patient. "Ms Dwyer, Doctor Smith is going to take care of you for the rest of today, please don't hesitate to let him know if you're experiencing any discomfort."

She smiled and thanked us all. As we left her room, I took her chart from Dr Smith and made a few notes. "She's all yours," I said with a smile, handing back the chart.

"Thanks Doctor Swan," he replied. "Could you please observe when I do the first dressing change?"

"Not a problem," I told him as we walked into the next room.

We repeated the process with all five new patients. The first three were assigned to the intern who presented, the last two I made group cases as the patients had multiple injuries.

After rounds my interns dispersed to run tests and generally provide patient care. I checked in at the nurse's station and was pleased to see that Jessica's shift had ended and Eric was in. We chatted for a few minutes until Lauren arrived.

"Bella," she said with a nod of her head.

"Doctor Mallory," I replied. "Doctor Taylor was rounding with your interns this morning."

"Are you telling me how to do my job?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all," I said calmly. "I just thought you might like to know where your interns are."

"Well I don't," she spat back.

I tried to cover my smile as I saw Doctor Taylor coming up behind her.

"Is there a problem, Doctor Mallory?" she asked sweetly.

Lauren looked like she'd been slapped in the split second before she turned around. "No problem, Doctor Taylor. Just checking the board," she lied.

"Right, well, come with me and I'll fill you in on your cases for today. And since you're forty minutes late, I expect that you'll work back this evening to make up for lost time and set a good example?" Dr Taylor phrased it as a question but we all knew it was non-negotiable.

Eric and I laughed quietly as they headed off down the corridor. "I'm going for a coffee, want one?" he offered.

I said yes and he headed off towards the elevators. I placed my interns names next to their patients on the board and then turned around and picked up the phone to call Edward. I stopped myself though because I knew he was studying. _Maybe later,_ I told myself as Dr Smith headed towards me.

"Doctor Swan? It's time for Ms Dwyer's first dressing change, would you have five minutes?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied, following him to Ms Dwyer's room. "When did she last have pain meds?"

"The morphine was administered ten minutes ago," he told me. We entered the room and he washed his hands thoroughly, then he quietly explained to Ms Dwyer what he was going to do and told her to stop him if she was experiencing any major pain. She nodded and smiled and he gently removed the dressing, working slowly and carefully. Once it was off he gently examined the area before applying a fresh dressing. He smiled and told her he'd be back to check on her shortly before throwing the old dressing in the waste container and washing his hands again.

"You did really well," I told him as we walked out of her room.

"I had a good teacher," he replied with a smile.

We went our separate ways and I retrieved my coffee from Eric. I spent the rest of the morning overseeing different tests and procedures for my interns. I ate my salad sandwich and smiled as I remembered Edward's embarrassment at having made it for me. I picked up the phone at the nurse's station and gave him a call.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey baby, how's the study going?" I asked.

"Hey! It's going well – I've got through a lot – just having some lunch," he replied.

"Me too – my sandwich was so good. Thank you!" I told him.

"You're welcome. Anything interesting going on there today?" I couldn't believe he actually sounded interested.

I gave him the basics of the cases we had. "Pretty normal for the day after the fourth, really," I finished.

"I miss you – I can't wait to see you tonight," he said.

"It's only been five hours! How are you going to be when you go back to Chicago?" I joked.

"I don't want to think about it," he said sadly. "Be safe?"

"Always," I replied with a smile. "I love you."

"Love you too. Bye," he said and hung up.

The afternoon seemed to drag on. Every time I looked at the clock it felt like each second was an hour. Five thirty came and we rounded on our cases again. I updated the charts for the incoming residents and placed them back at the nurse's station.

Ten minutes before six Dr Newton came up to me. "Doctor Swan. I'll be taking over your cases this evening."

I quickly explained each case to him, making sure to go over when dressings were changed last and when pain meds and antibiotics were administered. He seemed to be listening which was good and he thanked me for leaving the charts in such a clear condition.

I said goodbye to my interns and stuck my head into the office the attendings shared to say goodnight to Doctor Taylor. I grabbed my bag from my locker and almost ran to my car.

Traffic was light and I made it home in near record time. I walked in the door to find Edward and Jasper playing cards on the coffee table.

"Heyo boyos," I sing-songed as I closed the door behind me.

"Hey Bells," Jasper replied as Edward stood up to welcome me home.

"Bella! Shower! Now!" Alice's voice commanded from the hallway.

"Why?" I called back, cuddling back into Edward's arms.

"Because we're meeting our parents for dinner at seven and then going out afterwards. Move!" she giggled.

I shrugged and slipped out of Edward's arms. "Can't argue with the pixie!" I said as I headed for the shower.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N:** I'm so sorry this has taken so long! Things have been crazy in my life for the last week! This weekend is a long weekend so I'm hoping to do some writing and give you wonderful people an extra chapter before work starts back on Tuesday. This one got out of hand and got a bit long so it's also been split in two!

I know I said a while ago there would only be a few more chapters, but these characters just keep giving me ideas so my chapters are getting longer and longer so my outline is shifting further and further along!

Thanks to all of you for your reviews – I know I don't respond to them all and I don't respond quickly, but they mean a lot! I never imagined that I'd get more than a couple of reviews, and to be over 200 is amazing!

Happy reading!

Chapter 35

BPOV

Half an hour later the four of us were in Jasper's car headed for his place.

"Living close to the city has it advantages," he said to Edward over his shoulder. "Like, we can drop the car off at my place, walk to the restaurant, and then go out later without worrying about getting the car home."

"Which," I interjected, "means he can get Alice drunk and take her home and take advantage of her!"

"Bella!" Alice squealed, covering her face with her hands.

Edward looked at me questioningly before glaring at Jasper. "Something you should be telling me, Jasper?"

Jasper laughed and shook his head as he pulled neatly into his parking space. Once we were walking down the street towards the restaurant he filled Edward in.

"Alice and I had known each other for a couple of months and we went out with Bella and a few people from the hospital one night. I got wasted, Alice walked me home, and we woke up together the next morning," he said.

"So Alice took advantage of _you_ then?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister.

"Not until the next morning!" she defended herself. "I slept in the bed with him because it was cold and there was nowhere else to sleep! And then when we woke up…"

"That's where you leave it Al," I cautioned her. "He doesn't want to hear the rest."

We all laughed and chatted about Emmett and Rosalie as we walked the rest of the way. We arrived a little after seven and walked in to find Emmett and Rose already seated with Carlisle and Esme. They all stood and we all greeted each other before sitting down again.

"We've ordered a couple of bottles of wine and an entrée platter, I hope that's all right?" Carlisle asked.

"It's fine – I'm starving!" Alice replied with a grin.

Soon the wine arrived with the food coming shortly after. The waitress asked if we needed more time to look over the menu and Emmett asked for another five minutes.

"The prime rib here is to die for gents," he announced seriously to the men at the table. "I'd recommend the Cajun chicken for you lovely ladies."

Alice and I exchanged a quick glance and a silent nod. When the waitress arrived back she started with Carlisle and Esme, who ordered the prime rib and a pasta dish respectively. Emmett and Rose had the prime rib and the chicken, then she moved to Jasper and Alice.

"I'll have the prime rib thanks," Jasper said, handing her his menu.

"And you, miss?" she asked Alice.

"I'll have the prime rib as well please," she replied, looking quickly at Emmett. He missed it.

Edward and I both ordered the prime rib as well and the waitress scurried off.

"Bella, Rose, I need to pee. Come with?" Alice asked, rising from her seat.

"Lovely, Alice," Carlisle said with a smile. "It's nice to see we raised you as a lady!"

"What?" she asked, all wide-eyed and innocent. "I invited others to come along!"

Carlisle and Esme shook their heads and laughed as Rosalie and I stood and followed Alice to the ladies' room.

Once inside, Alice turned to us. "Rose, how do you feel about taking an extremely drunk fiance home later?"

Rosalie looked at me confused and I shrugged. I had no idea where this was going either.

Alice went on, "See, Emmett has always had a thing for 'girls eat this; guys eat this', which is why Bella and I ordered the prime rib. He also thinks that girls can't drink as much, which in Emmett's case is true because he's so darn big!"

Rose still looked confused but I was starting to see where Alice was going. She had done this in college a couple of times.

I took over the explanation. "To teach him a lesson, we find us a friendly bartender at Blackbill tonight. For every shot of tequila we get for Emmett, Alice gets a shot of water, but Emmett will think its tequila."

Alice cut in. "I'll have tequila too, just not as much as Emmett. He'll want to make sure I get more drunk than he does, so we should have an impartial drink runner. Someone like Edward, who has to be impartial since he loves us both."

An evil smile crept across Rosalie's face. "Sounds like a plan, ladies. I might need you and Jazz to help me get him home though, Alice."

"My pleasure," Alice replied with a twinkle in her eye.

We headed back to the table and sat down just as Carlisle was topping up everyone's wine glasses.

Edward leaned over and murmured in my ear, "Alice is staying at Jasper's tonight," as he placed his hand on my leg above my knee.

I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through my body as I looked up at him through my eyelashes. "Your point being?" I asked with a smirk.

He leaned in closer so his lips were right against my ear. "My point being, I plan on getting you nice and relaxed, then taking you home and fucking you all night long."

I whimpered softly and the bastard leaned back, taking his hand with him, and turned to his other side to begin a conversation with Emmett.

"Bella? You ok?" Alice asked from my left.

I turned to face her and nodded. The art of speech had left me for a minute.

"Is Edward being dirty?" she whispered, leaning her head towards mine.

Again, I nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm staying at Jazzy's then, isn't it?" she said brightly just as our meals were served.

Conversation died down as we all got stuck in. Emmett was right – the prime rib was to die for. Carlisle ordered more wine part way through the meal and filled our glasses once again. I had a nice buzz going but wanted to keep myself in check while we were with Edward's parents.

"Emmett, that prime rib was _fantastic_," Alice announced as she placed her cutlery across her empty plate.

Emmett's eyes almost fell out of his head when he realised that Alice had eaten the whole meal. "Where the hell did you put all that?" he asked.

"You're not the only one with an appetite, brother dear," she said sweetly.

Our plates were cleared soon after and the waitress handed around dessert menus.

"Wanna share a dessert?" Alice whispered to me. "I don't think I can eat a full one but I don't want Emmett to know."

I nodded and asked her aloud if she'd like to share a dessert with me. Emmett smiled and shook his head. "Can't fit it all in, Alice?" he mocked.

"I'll show you," she muttered under her breath. "Actually Bella, I think I'll have something for myself."

"I'll share with you," Edward offered, placing his hand back on my leg. He leaned in and whispered, "Do they have Bella sundaes on the menu?"

I turned and whispered back, "I don't think so, but I'm sure it can be arranged later," before pecking him on the lips.

We all placed our dessert orders and Esme ordered coffee for the table. To her credit, Alice put away a whole raspberry tartlet with fresh cream, leaving Emmett even more gobsmacked than before.

We sat and chatted after dinner, Carlisle switching places with Alice to talk to me about my job at the hospital. We discussed his work in Utah and he told me that while he was enjoying it, he really just wanted to be back in their house in Olympia.

Once all the food and coffee was gone and Esme paid for all of our meals despite our protests, we said goodbye to Carlisle and Esme with promises to see them before their flight the following evening. They turned one way to head to their hotel and the rest of us headed in the other direction to Blackbill.

It was just before ten when we arrived and there was only a small line, so we didn't use Rosalie's face to get us in this time. After about twenty minutes we descended the stairs and Alice headed for the same table we'd sat at the last time we were here.

Edward sat down and I went to sit next to him, but he pulled me into his lap. "I think I like you right here," he murmured in my ear.

"I think I can handle that," I said, turning to kiss him.

"Get a room, you two!" Emmett yelled from across the table.

I poked my tongue out as Edward gave him the finger.

"I have a challenge," Alice announced, standing up. She exchanged grins with Rosalie and me before turning to face Emmett squarely. "At dinner, Emmie dear, you suggested that the 'gents' have the prime rib and the 'ladies' have the chicken. Just like you always have, you assumed that girls can't eat as much as boys. Well, I think I proved you wrong."

Emmett grinned at her. "That you did, little sis," he acknowledged.

"The challenge continues – tequila shots. You know I don't like them much, but I'm willing to wager that between now and two o'clock I can drink as many, if not more than you." She smiled and turned to Edward. "And as the impartial third party, Edward will accompany whoever is buying the shots to the bar."

"Oh will he?" Edward asked. I could tell he was smiling. He whispered in my ear, "Alice is up to something, right?"

I nodded slightly so it wasn't obvious to anyone and he squeezed my waist in return.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get going!" Alice demanded.

Edward and I both laughed and stood up to go the bar. "First round's on me!" Emmett said, throwing some money across the table.

I quickly explained to Edward what Alice's plan was and he loved it. "Better make the first round a real one though, just in case someone gets the wrong one," he suggested.

He ordered eight shots and we loaded the tray with a bowl of lemon wedges and a salt shaker. "Bring back memories?" I teased as we headed for the table.

"Damn good ones," he replied with a smile.

He set the tray down and handed out the shots, placing two each in front of Alice and Emmett. "Two?" she asked. "No one said anything about two!"

"Starts it with a bang," Edward said. "Who's up first?"

"How about one straight up and the other with lemon and salt?" Emmett suggested, wagging his tongue at Rosalie.

Alice shrugged, picked up one of her shots and threw it back. "Your turn."

Emmett threw back his first shot then grabbed a lemon wedge and the salt shaker. He handed the lemon to Rosalie who obligingly held it between her teeth. He quickly licked her neck and doused it with salt then swapped the shaker for his second shot. He licked, sipped and sucked and then looked at Alice with an evil grin.

Alice followed suit, using Jasper for her lemon and salt. Rose and Jasper quickly took their first shots and Edward and I took a little too much pleasure from licking each other's necks.

"In public, people!" Jasper joked from across the table.

"Ooh, I love this song! Dance with me, Jazzy!" Alice cried, jumping up from her seat and dragging Jasper towards the dance floor. "You too!" she added, pointing at the four of us still seated.

We all headed for the dance floor and Edward promptly pulled me against his body. One of his hands rested in the small of my back and the other slid down to rest on my butt. "Feeling gropey are we?" I teased with a smile.

"You have no idea how good your ass looks in those pants," he growled in my ear, squeezing my butt for emphasis.

I moaned and ground myself against him. "Can't we just go home now?" I pleaded.

"Soon, baby. I just want to see Alice get Emmett wasted for a while first," he replied.

We danced for a while longer until I saw Alice hold two fingers up over her head. "Time for round two," I said to Edward, leading him over to the bar. I quickly explained to the bartender that I needed 6 shots of tequila and two of water. She grinned and set them on a tray for us with lemon and salt, placing two slightly closer together. I paid and Edward carried the tray to the table Alice had claimed.

I carefully set the two waters down in front of her, gave Emmett two tequilas and one each to the rest of us. We repeated the process from before and Alice shot me a triumphant grin after she swallowed her second water. Once the round was clear, Jasper lifted her off his lap and he and Edward went straight to the bar for another round. When they returned I gave Edward a look and he nodded slightly.

"Two more?" Alice complained.

"Too much for you, little sis?" Emmett asked. _Is it me, or is he slurring his words?_ I thought to myself.

"Ha!" Alice shot back at him, downing both shots straight up. Emmett's eyes widened and he followed her, his eyes bugging out of his head after the second one.

"More dancing!" Rose announced as another of her favourite songs came on.

I moved to get up but Edward held me against his lap. "We'll be there in a minute guys," he told the others. Once they were out of earshot he leaned in to me. "You are turning me on so much right now," he growled.

I stood up and turned around, straddling him as I sat. "Then let's get the fuck out of here," I suggested, sucking on his earlobe.

He grunted and thrust his hips towards mine and I moaned when his erection made contact. "We can't yet," he complained. "We still have three rounds to go."

"Screw the rounds," I declared. "You pay for the next one and then we can clear off."

He agreed and we joined the others and danced for a few more songs. I caught Alice's eye and she held four fingers up. I nodded and Edward and I headed for the bar once more. "Should we get her a real one this time as well as a water?" he suggested.

"It's about time she had a real one – Emmett will be getting suspicious," I agreed.

We took the tray back to the table and as I set Alice's drinks in front of her I asked, "Is anyone else feeling hot?" putting emphasis on the _one_ part.

She acknowledged me by replying, "Yeah, I get what you're saying. It's warm in here."

"Straight up again?" Emmett asked her.

She shrugged. "Why not?" She picked up both glasses and I could tell she was sniffing them inconspicuously. She threw back one and winced slightly then followed it straight with the other. She slammed the empty glasses down on the table and turned expectantly to Emmett. He repeated her motions and shook his head.

"How are you doing it?" he asked.

"Doing what?" Alice replied, all innocence.

We all headed for the dance floor again and Edward once again held me tight. He hands were now firmly planted on my ass and I was grinding into him for all I was worth. "Please take me home," I almost begged.

"You got it," he answered, attacking my lips with his. When we broke apart, he turned around and made eye contact with Emmett, then waved. Emmett nodded and we headed off.

We grabbed a cab fairly quickly but it felt like it took forever to get home. When the driver pulled up I passed him the money and we ran to the elevator. The ride to my floor was excruciatingly slow and the tension was so thick you could cut it.

We finally made it into my apartment. I secured the locks and Edward immediately had me up against the door. His lips locked firmly onto mine and he plunged his tongue into my mouth. I dropped my keys and purse to the floor and threaded my fingers into his hair.

Edward slid his hand down and hooked my leg over his hip, sliding his hands under my butt and lifting me up so my legs were wrapped around him and my back was flat against the door. He started kissing and sucking my neck and I slid my hands as far down his back as I could reach to untuck his shirt. Once I felt it give way I slid my hands between us and started working on the buttons.

"I'll give you thirty seconds to get naked," Edward said lowly into my ear, setting me gently on the floor.

We both stripped as fast as we could and as soon as I dropped my underwear he pounced again. He lifted me once more so I could wrap my legs around his waist and I could feel the head of his rock hard erection grazing against my centre.

I dipped my head and ran my tongue around the outside of his ear, making him twitch. "You are going to fucking kill me," he rumbled against my shoulder.

I sucked his earlobe into my mouth again and smiled at the moan. "Then you'd better do something to make me stop before that happens," I prompted.

Edward carried me through the living room and into my bedroom where he threw me on the bed, laying his full body weight on top of me. His erection grazed against me again and he moaned, "Fuck, you're so wet."

"That's what you do to me," I whispered, lifting my hips and taking him into me. We both groaned at the contact and he quickly withdrew, slamming back into me.

He continued his hard and fast pace and I felt myself getting closer and closer. "I can't hold it!" I cried.

"So don't," he replied, bending his head and kissing me hard.

My world exploded around me and Edward came a few seconds later, collapsing on top of me with the intensity of his orgasm. We laid there together for a few minutes before he rolled off and pulled me against his side.

"Edward?" I asked as I snuggled against him.

"Mmm?"

"Did you really mean it when you said we'd go all night?" I looked up at him with a smile.

"Well, maybe not _all_ night – we do need some sleep," he replied.

I lifted myself up and kissed him gently before settling back down in his arms.

"Goodnight Edward. I love you," I whispered against his chest.

"Love you too baby," he slurred back. I could tell he was already close to asleep so I closed my eyes and drifted off.

EPOV

I woke the next morning to the quiet ringing of Bella's phone. She didn't stir and I wasn't sure where her phone even was so I let it go. It stopped a few seconds later and I looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping in my arms. My reverie was interrupted by the ringing of the house phone.

"Oh fuck OFF!" Bella grumbled.

"Someone's got a hangover!" I joked as she rolled out of my arms and stood up.

She flipped me the bird and walked out of her room.

"Hello?" I heard her say. "Yep…what time is it?..Oh shit…Yeah, that would be great Emmett…See you soon…Bye."

I heard her hang up and a few seconds later she walked back in. "That was Emmett. He's a little ill so he and Rose are going to Burger King to get food. They already spoke to Alice and Jazz and they're all coming here to eat. So you need to get dressed. Not that I mind seeing you like that…" she finished with a wink, crawling up my body and kissing me hard.

I slid my hands down her back and grabbed her butt, then slid my hands lower and spread her legs, pulling her closer to me. "We have time?" I whispered in her ear.

"If you're quick," she whispered back, lifting herself up and enveloping me in her heat.

I let my head fall back as a moan escaped my lips. "Fuck you feel good," I told her, looking into her amazing brown eyes.

"Damn straight I feel good," she said back, kissing along my jaw line. "I never feel better than when you're inside me."

We started rocking and soon I couldn't control myself. I held Bella tightly and rolled us over so I could take control. A few minutes later she dug her short nails into my shoulders and her mouth fell open. _I swear she has the hottest orgasm face I've ever seen_, I thought to myself as I let go inside her.

We lay together for a few minutes before Bella moved away. "I should go shower," she said. I followed her to the bathroom and jumped under the spray quickly with her.

She started kissing my back and as much as I hated to, I pulled away. "The others will be here soon."

I stepped out and dried off quickly, walking back to Bella's room wrapped in a towel. I was looking for clean clothes when there was a knock at the door.

"Be there in a sec!" I hollered from the bedroom, grabbing a pair of cargo pants from the floor and pulling them on without any underwear. I grabbed a white t-shirt and dragged it over my head while I headed to the door, stopping along the way to pick up our discarded clothes from the night before.

I opened the door to find Emmett and Rosalie standing on the other side with bags of take out, Emmett looking very pale and Rosalie looking perfect as always. I ushered them in and quickly threw the clothes in my arms into the bedroom. I went and let Bella know they were here and she joined us a few minutes later, just as Alice and Jasper arrived.

Alice looked pretty good considering she was more than a little drunk when we left and Jasper looked faintly green.

"Big night?" I teased them as we sat around the dining room table.

Emmett just grunted. "Don't know how the pixie did it but she well and truly drank me under the table."

Rosalie and I burst out laughing. "So are men still the superior sex?" Rose asked.

"Not today they're not," Emmett grumbled.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, all six of us grateful for the grease from the burgers and fries.

"Did you want a ride to work tonight Bells?" Jasper asked.

"That would be great," she replied, smiling at him across the table. "Stupid graveyard shift."

"What time are we meeting your parents?" Rosalie asked Emmett.

"They're coming to our place for coffee around three," he answered. "You guys are all invited," he added, looking around the table.

"Did you want to go?" I asked Bella. "I know you'll need a nap before work."

"We can go," she said, smiling at me. "As long as I get a couple of hours sleep, I'm sure I can catch a nap during the night."

"I'll cover for you if you cover for me," Jasper suggested.

Bella nodded and thanked him as the conversation drifted back to the night before. I was wondering if Alice would come clean when she moved around and sat in Emmett's lap.

"Emmie, you know I love you right?" she wheedled. I couldn't see her face but I knew she was doing the whole innocent look thing.

"Why?" Emmett was immediately suspicious. I glanced around the table to see Rose, Jasper and Bella all wearing the same look that I suspected was on my face.

"Well, everyone else was in on it too…I was shooting water most of the night last night," she admitted, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"You…they…what?" Emmett was shell-shocked.

"I'm sorry!" Alice squealed into his shoulder. "I just wanted to teach you a lesson!"

"And you did," he said, breaking out into a smile. "You got me good and proper."

We all laughed as Emmett hugged her back and she climbed off his lap. "Come on Jazz," she said. "Let's go rest before we go to Rose and Emmett's this afternoon."

They headed for the door and Rosalie helped me clean up before she and Emmett left as well.

"Want me to bring anything for this afternoon?" Bella offered.

"Cake?" Emmett asked, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"No problemo," Bella responded with a smile.

We saw them out and Bella turned and hugged me. "I have a cake to make and you need to study," she said. "I'll give you the run of the living room for the next two hours while I play in the kitchen, ok?"

"Deal – but only if I get your undivided attention between two and three," I shot back, hugging her tightly.

I left her in the kitchen and grabbed my notes from the bedroom, stretching out on the couch to read.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N:** Wow! Two long chapters published close together!

Before I forget, for those of you on Facebook, check out the "Emmett drives a Jeep" flair, thanks to my good buddy AzraTain. It rocks!

I had to do a little research for this chapter. Without giving anything away, Adderall is a prescription drug used to treat conditions like ADHD etc. A lot of uni/college students use it illegally to stay awake.

Thanks again for the reviews!

Happy reading!

Chapter 36

BPOV

I hummed to myself as I added the last of the chocolate curls to the top of the cake I'd made to take to Emmett and Rosalie's that afternoon. While the cake was in the oven I cleaned out the fridge and put together a grocery list in the hope that I would feel like going tomorrow. While I waited for the cake to cool I made a chicken casserole to take to work for dinner and to feed Alice and Edward for the night.

The cake finished, I put the lid on my cake container and slid it into the fridge to set properly. I finished cleaning up and walked into the living room to give Edward the undivided attention I'd promised him. I smiled as I saw that he was asleep, stretched out on the couch. His notes had fallen to the floor and his left arm was hanging off the side.

He groaned in his sleep and his right hand moved up to grip his hair. "Like that…" he mumbled.

I stopped to listen. The dirty side of my mind conjured up a scenario and my angelic side said no.

"Oh Bella…" he moaned, bucking his hips into the air. It was then I noticed he was straining against the fabric of his pants.

I moved softly across the room and knelt next to his feet. I wanted to act on my impulses but I also wanted to make sure I was getting the right vibes from him.

"Love…your mouth…" he panted.

That was it. I crept forward slowly until I was kneeling next to his waist. I carefully undid the button on his cargos and gradually slid the zipper down. I was glad I did it slowly because I soon discovered he wasn't wearing underwear. I licked my lips and leaned over his body, slowly taking him into my mouth.

"Oh fuck yes," he muttered above me. I wasn't sure if he was still asleep but I didn't bother finding out. I kept my movements slow and deliberate, swirling my tongue around the head when I was near the top and gently scraping my teeth up his shaft from time to time.

"Baby, don't stop. Oh please don't stop!" he cried, too clearly to be asleep. Against his wishes, I lifted my head and smiled at him.

"Decided to wake up, did we?" I teased.

"And what a way to wake up!" he answered, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Shall I continue?" I asked, lifting his t-shirt a little and kissing his stomach lightly.

"Only if you want to – I don't want to force you," he said quietly.

"Well, I _did_ promise you my undivided attention," I said, moving down and taking him into my mouth again.

He sighed and relaxed, threading my hair through his fingers.

"I don't want to come in your mouth, Bella," he said breathlessly. "Let's go to bed."

I slowly pulled my mouth away and stood, reaching up to help him up from the couch. We walked into the bedroom and he dropped his pants to the floor. We undressed each other slowly and lay down together, pulling the covers around us.

Edward cupped my face in his hand and kissed me passionately. "I love you. I want to make love with you," he whispered against my lips.

"I love you too," I whispered back, pulling our bodies closer. He slowly entered me and we moved together for what felt like an eternity. A blissful eternity.

Edward shifted slightly and started hitting all the rights spots. I held on to him for dear life as I let go and let the waves of pleasure roll over me. Edward grunted as he released and kissed me deeply.

He pulled out of me and we held each other close for a while. He glanced over my head at the alarm clock. "We need to get ready to go see my family," he said softly, stroking my hair away from my face.

"Can I trust you to shower with me?" I teased.

"I promise I'll be good," he replied, making a cross over his heart.

"You're always good," I said under my breath as I climbed out of bed.

"What was that?" he asked, sitting up with the sheets still across his lap.

I blushed. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing if you're blushing about it, Bella," he warned, standing up and walking over to me.

I sighed and looked down. "I said, 'You're always good'," I told him.

"Hmm." Edward stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. Before I could look up to asked what 'hmm' meant, he lifted me and threw me over his shoulder so I was face-to-face with his glorious butt.

"Edward!" I squealed, wriggling around and slapping him on the ass.

He carried me like that to the bathroom where he set me back on the floor. "You're a turd!" I shot at him, smoothing my hair out of my face.

"And you love me," he retorted with a grin as he turned the shower on.

We both behaved in the shower and were on our way to Emmett and Rosalie's fifteen minutes later.

We spent an hour with Carlisle and Esme before they left for the airport and headed home so I could take a nap. Edward tucked me in and lay down next to me on top of the covers. "Do you want me to stay here?" he whispered, stroking my hair.

"You can go study if you want to," I replied sleepily. "Can you wake me at seven?"

He kissed me gently on the forehead. "Sure can."

I vaguely felt him stand up as I burrowed down under the covers.

Next thing I knew, he was gently shaking me. "Time to wake up, sleeping beauty," he teased gently.

I opened my eyes to see him smiling down at me and stretched, then reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Did you want dinner before you go?" he offered.

"Nah," I said, shaking my head as I climbed out of bed. "I made a casserole earlier for you and Alice for tonight, and put some of it aside to take to work for Jasper and me."

"You cooked for us?" He seemed surprised.

"Have you eaten Alice's cooking?" I countered.

"Once," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Nuff said," I replied as I pulled on my scrubs and runners and headed for the bathroom.

I heard the door to the apartment open and close and Alice call out, "We're here! If you're naked, put some clothes on!"

I finished braiding my hair and walked into the living room. "Hiya," I greeted them, hugging Alice as she came over to me.

"Ready for work?" Jasper asked with a sour face.

"As I'll ever be," I sighed.

"Where's Edward?" Alice asked, shrieking as he grabbed her from behind.

"Right here! I just turned the oven to on re-heat the casserole your wonderful roommate made for us," he said, letting her go and coming over to me.

"Casserole? Is there some for us too?" Jasper asked.

"Yep, all packed and ready for dinner," I confirmed. "We better get going."

Jasper and I said goodbye to Alice and Edward and I grabbed our dinner from the fridge. We headed down to Jasper's car and arrived at work a short time later.

"Who's the attending on tonight?" he asked me.

"I think it's White," I answered as we got into the lift with a couple of interns I didn't know very well.

We got out with the interns on the trauma floor.

"Psst….Doctor Swan," I heard from behind me.

I turned to see Eric beckoning from the nurse's station. Jasper and I walked along to him.

"Why the whispering?" I said in a stage whisper.

"The interns have all been swapped around," he told us. "Apparently Newton and Mallory's interns thought yours were being treated special because they know more, so from tonight on you guys are going to have the sex doc's interns and they're having yours."

"Treated special?" Jasper snorted. "More like we pay attention and actually teach them stuff!"

We dumped our stuff in the locker room and headed back to the nurses' station to collect charts for our rounds. Dr White came and spoke to us then stayed and spoke to the interns as well. Jasper and I divided up the seven cases currently on the board and headed to opposite directions of the floor with our new interns.

Just after 10:30 I was sitting at the nurses' station with Eric when Jasper came up. "Any chance you can keep an eye on my interns for an hour?" he asked me.

"Not a worry – who's doing what?" I didn't mind covering for Jasper but I wanted to be sure I knew what his interns were supposed to be doing. We quickly went over the charts and he headed for an empty room to take a nap.

Eric went downstairs to get a coffee around 11 and brought me back one without me having to ask. I re-heated my dinner and ate at the nurses' station. Jasper wandered out with his blonde hair sticking up everywhere at ten to twelve and immediately went and heated his dinner up as well.

I gave him my seat and went to check on all of the interns. They were all doing what they were supposed to be doing which was a good thing – I was worried that with the lack of supervision they'd had previously we'd have a challenge on our hands.

Around one am I tracked Jasper down and asked him if it was ok if I went and had a snooze, filling him in on my cases. I curled up on the bed he'd slept in previously and woke around 2:30. I found Jasper again to let him know I was awake and he helped me change the linens on the bed. It was pretty standard practice for the two of us – one takes a nap, the other takes a nap in the same bed, then we change the sheets. We'd been doing it since the start of our residency. The only time it didn't work was when the floor was full.

Five am rolled around and I rounded up my interns for reports on their cases before final rounds. Their work was good but not outstanding, so I gave them some suggestions about note-taking and different ways to record things. We rounded as a group and I signed off on their charts just before six.

"Ready to go?" Jasper asked, appearing out of nowhere at my side.

"Yep," I replied, placing the last of my charts in the rack.

"I have a craving for an omelette – you have eggs?" he asked.

"I'm not cooking for you Jazz," I snorted.

"Well ex-_cuse_ me!" he said, throwing his Southern accent on extra strong. "Maybe I was going to cook for you?"

Jasper was a much better cook than Alice, especially where breakfast was concerned. "Well then, that's a different matter. And no, we don't have eggs. They're on my list."

"How about we stop on the way back to your place and I'll make breakfast for everyone?" he offered.

So we did. We stopped off and grabbed eggs, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms as well as orange juice and fresh bread. We walked in the door of my apartment a little after 6:30 and Jasper headed straight to the kitchen. I could hear the shower running and I was pretty sure it wasn't Alice, given the time, so I went and knocked gently on her door.

"I'm not getting up," she growled.

I took that as a sign I could go in so I did, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Jasper's here and he's making breakfast," I told her.

She sat bolt upright and grinned like she'd been awake for hours. "Now _that's_ a great way to wake up!" she announced, sliding out of bed and sticking her feet in her fluffy green slippers.

I followed her back to the kitchen where Jasper was hard at work.

"Morning gorgeous," she chirped, hugging him around the waist from behind. He turned and kissed her on the forehead before turning back to the stove.

"Bella! You're home!" Edward said as he walked into the kitchen, drawing me into his arms.

"Mmm, you smell good," I said before I could stop myself.

Everyone laughed. "Thanks," he replied. "How was work?"

Jasper and I filled them both in on our night at work until breakfast was ready. We sat down to eat and Alice asked Edward how he was feeling about taking the bar exam.

"I'm pretty sure I'm ready," he said. "Changing topic, I'm meeting the landlord at the apartment in your building today at lunch, Jasper."

"Signing the lease?" Jasper asked.

"Hopefully. That way I'll have a definite place to live when I move here!" Edward said with a smile.

We finished eating and Edward and I stole a few minutes alone together before he had to leave. "Good luck today," I said quietly as I snuggled against his chest.

"Thanks. I'm sure I'll be fine."

I watched as he tied his tie in a perfect knot and then pulled on his suit jacket. "I am the luckiest girl alive – have a look at yourself!" I told him.

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one," he answered as we walked out to the living room.

"Hey, did you want a lift?" Jasper offered.

"That would be great – I'll catch the bus back later," Edward replied.

"You can take my truck if you want to – I'm going to sleep for a couple of hours. Maybe you can come get me at lunch and I'll have it for the afternoon?"  
I suggested.

"Even better! Thanks for the offer though Jasper," he finished.

Edward and Jasper both left a few minutes later.

"Did you want a shower before you sleep?" Alice asked.

I shook my head. "It's ok – you need to get ready for work."

"It's my last week!" she said with a little bounce as she headed for the shower.

I went back into my bedroom and pulled off my scrubs, leaving my t-shirt on and pulling on a pair of cotton pyjama pants. I set my alarm for 11am and crawled under the covers, rolling over to cuddle into Edward's pillow.

I slept like a log and felt refreshed when I woke to my alarm. I stretched a lay there for a few minutes while I woke up properly then got out of bed and headed for the shower. I took my time washing my hair then blow dried it when I got out. I pulled on a pair of black cargos and a rose pink t-shirt then headed to the kitchen to see what I could pull together for lunch. Edward had said he had an hour and a half break for lunch from 12:30 till 2 so I was expecting him around 12:45. I settled on some homemade soup I pulled from the freezer and the leftover bread from breakfast.

There was a knock on the door just before one and I opened it to find Edward on the other side. "You have my keys, you doink!" I told him as I hugged him. "You should've let yourself in!"

He hugged me back and replied, "I considered it but it didn't feel right…what's that awesome smell?"

I giggled and led him into the kitchen where the soup was just starting to bubble. "Lunch?"

"I'm starving!" he said, pulling two cans of cola out of the fridge and sitting down at the table.

I quickly toasted some bread and ladled the soup into two bowls. We talked about his morning at the bar exam while we ate and quickly loaded the dishwasher once we were finished. "Ready?"

He nodded and we headed down to my truck and drove over to Jasper's apartment building. The landlord was waiting and I stayed in the truck while Edward went in. He came out fifteen minutes later with a big grin.

"It's mine!" he announced as he slid back into the passenger seat, leaning over and kissing me enthusiastically.

"That's great!" I said, returning his kiss.

"If I give you the key, can you get a spare cut this afternoon? I'd like for you to have one…" he trailed off hopefully.

My heart swelled and I leaned across and hugged him. "If you want me to have a key, I'd love one."

I dropped him off ten minutes before he was due back and promised to pick him up at five. "What about your nap? I'll catch the bus back," he offered.

"Piffle," I responded. "I'll go do the groceries then go home and nap for an hour, then come pick you up and have dinner with you before I go to work. I'm on with Jasper again tonight so I'll steal some sleep at some point!"

"Ok. Love you," he said, closing the door and leaning through the open window for a kiss.

"Love you too – good luck!" I said and then watched him walk back into the building.

I drove to the grocery store and picked up everything on my list. Once I got home I made a couple of trips to get it all upstairs and quickly put it away. It was just before three so I decided a nap was most definitely in order and changed back into my pyjamas, setting the alarm for 4:30.

When it went off I dragged myself out of bed and dressed back in my cargos and t-shirt and drove off to pick Edward up. I found a park around the corner and walked around to meet him. As I turned the corner I saw him talking to a tall woman with big boobs and red hair. He saw me coming towards them and broke out into a grin, which she obviously took as encouragement, placing her hand on his arm.

I reacted instinctively. "Edward!" I called out, waving to him.

The red head turned and shot me a death stare before turning her attention back to Edward. I walked up and slid my arm around his waist.

"Jane, this is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is Jane. She's taking the exam as well," Edward introduced us.

I extended my hand. "Nice to meet you."

She gave my hand a loose shake. "Pleasure."

_I hope you fail_, I thought to myself, flashing her a bright smile.

"Ready to go?" I asked Edward. "I thought we could have dinner before I go to work."

"Bella's a doctor," he explained to Jane.

"How nice," she said, giving me another evil look.

"See you tomorrow – good luck with your study," Edward said to her as I steered him off. "Jealous, are we?" he teased under his breath as we walked away.

I punched him lightly in the stomach. "Not at all – you _are_ leaving with me, after all!"

He squeezed me gently as we arrived at the truck. "So what's for dinner?" he asked as we headed home.

"I kind of cheated and bought a ready-made lasagne," I admitted. "But I'm going to make a garlic bread and a salad to go with it."

"Sounds great," he said. "Can I do anything to help?"

"You could set the table while I make the salad – that way we can spend a bit more time together."

"Done," he said, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek as I parked under my building.

Alice arrived home just after six and called Jasper to invite him to dinner. He arrived half an hour later just as the garlic bread and lasagne were coming out of the oven. Edward had set the table in the dining room and we all sat down to eat.

"You two relax tonight – Edward and I can clean up after you go to work," Alice told us.

Jasper shrugged. "I won't complain."

After dinner Alice made coffee and we sat and chatted until it was time for me to get ready for work. I threw on my scrubs and cleaned my teeth, throwing my hair into a ponytail. Jasper and I said goodbye to Alice and Edward and headed off to work.

It was another quiet night with only four cases on the floor. Jessica was the night nurse and we being tolerable which made for an even quieter night than usual.

Edward called me at 11 to say goodnight. He told me Alice had set up her sewing machine in the dining room again and was working with a green silk fabric that he wasn't allowed to see. I was intrigued and couldn't wait to find out what she was up to.

I took the first nap of the night, sleeping between 11:30 and 1, then Jasper took a nap between 1:30 and 2:30.

"You can have a bit longer if you want," I told him as he shuffled out of the room.

"It's ok – I slept well at home today. Hey – how did Edward go with the apartment?" he asked.

I told him about it as we changed the sheets and stuffed the dirty ones in the linen trolley.

"That's awesome Bells – you guys really are meant to be. Alice has a knack for knowing these things," he joked.

"Doctor Swan! Come quick!" Jessica yelled from out in the hall.

Jasper and I looked at each other in horror and sprinted out into the hallway. One of my interns, Dr Young was writhing around on the floor, the others were all standing around just watching.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded as Jasper and I raced over.

"He was fine, then he just sort of keeled over," someone said from behind me.

"Is he epileptic?" Jasper asked.

Jessica ran and grabbed Dr Young's record from behind the desk. "Nope – says he has no known allergies either."

"Get a gurney!" Jasper instructed once the seizure stopped. "On my count, one, two, three!"

We lifted him carefully and wheeled him into the closest empty room. The other interns all stood back and Jasper and I checked him over. "His stats are dropping," Jasper announced.

I turned to the interns. "What do we do next? Think quick or he'll stop breathing!"

They all stood there like stunned mullets. "Well?" Jasper asked. "Haven't you learnt anything? Who can intubate him? None of you?" He looked at me, shocked. "Johns needs to know about this," he said quietly.

I quickly intubated while Jasper went over other vitals again. "Did he take something?" he asked.

The other interns all looked at each other. Jasper stepped up to them. "If he took something and you don't tell me what it was, he could die. Do you understand that?"

"He took a couple of pills earlier – I don't know what they were!" one of the girls admitted.

"Does anyone know what he took?" Jasper asked again.

"Will we get in trouble if we tell you?" one of the guys asked.

"You'll get in more trouble if you don't and he dies!" I spat.

"It was Adderall," he mumbled.

Jasper and I both froze.

"I don't want to know how, or where he got it," Jasper told them. "All of you get out and stay away from the other patients."

I grabbed the phone on the wall and called the drug unit, letting them know what was happening and asked them to send someone up. While Jasper and I were both capable, this guy needed an expert or he was gone.

Once he was in capable hands Jasper and I tracked down Dr White. "Doctor White, we have a situation," Jasper informed him.

"This doesn't sound good," he replied.

We quickly filled him in on what had happened. "Are you two able to run the floor for the rest of your shift?" he asked.

We nodded yes and he walked out, rounded up the interns and disappeared with them.

It was close to 4:30 by the time Dr White came back. "It turns out that the god Doctor Mallory suggested to her interns that they take Adderall to keep themselves awake on the night shifts," he told us.

My jaw practically hit the floor. "She did what?"

"So much for 'first do no harm'," Jasper muttered under his breath.

"I'm not in a position to discuss this further with the two of you right now, but I would like to thank and commend you both for your fast action this evening," Dr White went on. "If it wasn't for the two of you, that boy would be dead."

As he walked away Jasper and I just gaped at each other. "How dumb do you have to be?" he wondered aloud as we headed to the nurses' station to pick up the charts.

We rounded together and sat with our backs against the wall in the corridor while we updated the charts for the next shift. We both looked up as Dr Newton stepped off the elevator with Dr Mallory in tow.

"Morning," we chorused.

"If it isn't Tweedledee and Tweedledum," Lauren shot at us.

"I guess that makes you Tweedledumber," Jasper said quietly, making me laugh.

"Something funny?" Mike asked.

"Nope, nothing at all," I replied with a straight face, looking back at the chart on my lap. "Just tidying up these charts for you guys."

Our former interns started trickling in from 5:30 and they all came and said hi. We both reminded them that they should work hard and try to learn as much as they could regardless of who their resident was.

Just before six we met up with Lauren and Mike at the nurses' station. We quickly ran through the charts with them.

"Where are the interns? Shouldn't they be doing this?" Mike asked.

"I'm glad you asked that, Doctor Newton," said Dr White, approaching from the attending's office. "Doctor Mallory, I need you to come with me. Doctor Newton, I'm afraid you'll be on your own for a while this morning."

Jasper shot me a sideways glance and I stifled another giggle.

"Doctor Swan, Doctor Whitlock, thank you for your hard work overnight. You're excused," Dr White said.

We left in a hurry and Jasper dropped me off at home. "You're on graveyard again tonight, right?" I asked him.

"Yep," he answered with a grimace.

"I've got two till twelve – I'll bring you dinner," I offered.

"You're a champ Bells. See you tonight!" he said as I got out of the car.

I headed inside and walked into my bedroom just as Edward came in fresh from the shower.

"Now there's a pleasant surprise," I said, walking over to snuggle against him.

"How was work?" he asked, holding me close.

I filled him in on the Adderall scandal.

"What'll happen to her?" he asked.

"She'll lose her job and probably never be able to practice medicine again, and there's probably criminal charges as well if she supplied it," I said. "But you'd know more about that side of it than me."

"Could be interesting," he commented as he buttoned his shirt.

"Want some breakfast?" I offered.

"How about I feed you this morning since you've been at work all night?" he countered.

We headed for the kitchen where we found Alice making coffee.

"Morning!" she greeted us. "Bagel?"

We all ate together again before they headed off for the bus stop. I took a quick shower and crawled into bed, setting my alarm for midday.

I woke to the news reader saying, "A doctor at a prominent Seattle hospital has had their contract terminated after details of illegal prescriptions have surfaced."

I smiled to myself and turned the radio off. _Don't be nasty, Bella_, I chided myself. I took a leisurely shower and dressed for work then made myself a ham and salad sandwich for lunch. I took off the top half of my scrubs and covered my t-shirt with an apron and made a beef Teriyaki stir fry with noodles for dinner, leaving half of it in a bowl for Alice and Edward and dividing the rest up for Jasper and myself. I wrote them a quick note and stuck it on the fridge:

Alice/Edward,

Dinner is in the fridge – you just need to heat it up. I'm on till midnight and Jazz has the graveyard again. See you both in the morning.

Love Bella.

I hung my apron up and pulled my scrubs back on and left soon after for work.

The media had more or less set up camp outside the hospital when I arrived shortly before two. I took a deep breath and headed for the doors. Along the way, I was bombarded with questions:

"Do you know the doctor involved?" "Is it true someone almost died last night because of their actions?" "Have you ever written an illegal prescription?"

I finally made it inside and was relieved when the doors to the elevator closed. They opened again on the trauma floor and I stepped out to come face to face with a very stressed looking Dr Johns.

"Doctor Swan, I'm sorry, didn't anyone call you?" he asked.

"Call me about what, sir?" I asked.

"Your class of residents have all been stood down on full pay, with the exception of Doctor Mallory, until there is a full investigation of this issue. I'm sorry you had to drive in here but you are not required for your shift this evening or until further notice."

"We're all in the shit because of her?" I asked before I thought.

He offered me a wry smile. "To use your language, you're not all 'in the shit', but the board feels it wise to avoid any more unsavoury incidents. We do ask that you make yourself available over the next couple of days for any questions we may have."

"Of course sir," I responded, dazed. "I guess I'll be going home then?"

"I apologise for the inconvenience, Doctor Swan. If you like, I can have a doctor from another floor escort you to your car in a wheelchair to avoid the media?"

I smiled at his kindness. "That's ok sir, I'll just keep my head down and plow through them."

I headed back down to the lobby and took a deep breath.

"Bella, you don't wanna go out that way." I turned and was surprised to see Jessica walking towards me.

"Sorry?" I wasn't quite sure I understood her.

"If you walk out that door in scrubs not half an hour after walking in, your face will be all over the newspaper. Let me wheel you out," she offered.

"Jessica, I don't want to be rude, but why are you helping me?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Because you've done the right thing and don't deserve to be crucified for someone else's mistake," she said simply.

I shook my head in amazement and then took her up on her offer. She pulled off her jumper and we swapped it with the top of my scrubs then I sat in a wheelchair and she pushed me through the doors.

Miraculously, none of the media outside paid any attention to us whatsoever. Once we were halfway across the parking lot I stood up and walked the rest of the way to my truck where we quickly swapped shirts again.

"Thanks Jessica," I said to her. "But how are you going to get back inside?"

"I told them before I'm an orderly in the terminal care ward and they left me alone after that," she explained.

I thanked her again before climbing into my truck. I watched as she walked back towards the hospital and was amazed that she was pretty much ignored.

I drove home and parked just after three. I headed upstairs and changed out of my scrubs, folding them neatly and putting them away. _Don't know when I'll need those next,_ I thought as my phone rang. It was Jasper.

"Hey Jazz," I said as I picked up.

"So you know then?" he asked.

"Yeah, except I turned up at work!" I said with a laugh.

"Sucks to be you! So I was thinking I'd take Alice out for a surprise dinner tonight since I don't have to work – I'm guessing you and Edward won't mind having the place to yourselves?" he teased.

"Well I won't complain!" I retorted. "See you when you pick her up!"

We hung up and I spent the next hour running a couple of laundry cycles and throwing things in the dryer. I spent some time in the kitchen, making some soup and a couple more casseroles to stick in the freezer for easy dinners.

I was folding laundry in the dining room and making neat piles on the table when I heard Alice and Edward come through the door.

"I swear, that woman was undressing you with her eyes," Alice giggled.

I straight away knew who she met. I headed for the living room, calling out, "So I guess you met Jane then?"

"Bella! You're home! Why aren't you at work?" Edward asked in surprise.

I filled them in on the dramas at the hospital and finished just as Jasper knocked on the door and let himself in.

"So none of you can work until this is dealt with?" Alice clarified after greeting him.

"Nope – full pay until it's resolved, unless we're found to be involved," Jasper confirmed. "So we're going out for dinner to give these lovebirds some alone time before Edward goes back tomorrow."

"Thanks man," Edward said with a smile.

"I'll just pack a bag for tomorrow then," Alice said with a smirk. "Did you guys want to meet at Jacob's for breakfast?"

We sorted out details and Alice and Jasper left shortly after.

"I really get you all to myself tonight?" Edward asked, following me back to the dining room.

"Just as soon as this laundry is folded!" I said, picking up one of Alice's shirts.

"Well I guess I'd better help!" He joined in and soon we were done. I carried Alice's clothes in and left them on her bed, then quickly put mine away as well.

"Would you like me to cook?" Edward asked as I joined him in the kitchen. I was about to reply when he picked my note off the fridge. "Or we could just reheat your stir fry. How about I do that and you open us some wine?"

"Deal," I replied.

He opened the fridge and pulled out the food and I reached in after him to retrieve a bottle of white from the shelf.

We ate quietly. "What's on your mind?" he asked when my plate was almost empty.

"Just this stuff at work," I answered. "I can't believe I didn't see the signs. I know I didn't supervise Doctor Young but he worked at the same time as me quite often."

"You can't hold yourself responsible, Bella," he said, standing and carrying our plates to the sink. "He's an adult and while he may have felt pressure from his supervisor, he ultimately took the pills of his own accord."

He came over and started massaging my neck. I couldn't believe what I was about to say. "Edward, I'm really not…in the mood…tonight."

He sat next to me. "Honestly? I'm not either. Today was a tough day and now I'm nervous because I don't know when I'll get my results. Wanna watch a movie?"

We curled up on the couch together and watched _Independence Day_ until I started yawning.

"Bed time?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yep," I said, nodding slowly.

We both got ready for bed and it was close to 11 when we turned out the light. I was still on my side when Edward spooned into me from behind. I relaxed in his arms and snuggled back against him.

"Good night, my beautiful Bella," he whispered.

"Good night honey. I love you," I said back.

"Love you too."

I lay in his arms and thought over what was going on at work, listening as his breathing became deep and even. Eventually I closed my eyes and let Edward's rhythmic breathing lull me to sleep.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N:** So there was a gap between chapters. I'm sorry! Hopefully this one will keep you guys happy for a few days!

Happy reading!

Chapter 37

I woke early the next morning to my phone ringing. I rolled away from Edward towards the edge of the bed and was about to stand up when he grabbed me from behind.

"And where do you think you're going?" he mumbled, pulling me back into his arms.

"I was going to answer my phone," I smiled against him.

"They can leave a message," he whispered.

I snuggled back down and the phone rang again. "I have to get it," I said, rolling across to my side of the bed and grabbing the phone.

It was Alice. "What's up?" I asked.

"Jasper is," she giggled. "Raincheck on breakfast?"

I heard Jasper moan in the background. "So don't wanna know. Talk to you later," I said and hung up.

"Something wrong?" Edward asked.

"You don't wanna know," I said, shaking my head.

"Don't wanna know what?" he said, mocking my lazy speech.

"Alice and Jasper can't do breakfast because Jasper is 'up'," I said, wrinkling my nose. "I don't want to know what she was doing but he was moaning pretty loud!"

"Are you seriously telling me you've never heard Alice and Jasper when he stays here?" he asked. I didn't need to look up to know that he had one eyebrow raised.

"No, I've heard them. When they first got together. Then we set some ground rules. That's why Alice stays over there so much," I explained.

He laughed and pulled me back down against his chest.

I raised myself up on my elbows to look at him. "What time is your flight?"

"I fly out at eleven, so I guess I need to be there by about ten…gives us plenty of time," he finished with a wink.

I shook my head and smiled at him. "You men have a one track mind."

"Only where there's a gorgeous, sexy girlfriend involved who I don't know when I'll see again," he said sadly.

"Hey," I said softly, laying my chin on his chest to look up into his eyes. "I'm sure we can work something out. I can fly out to Chicago when I have a couple of days off, or you can come for a weekend or something…"

He smiled down at me. "You're right. It's just…these last few days have been amazing. I can't wait until I'm here for good and we can see each other whenever we want."

I lay my cheek against his chest and wrapped my arms around him. We lay still and quiet together, neither of us wanting to think about him going back to Chicago.

"So…" Edward started again.

"So indeed," I countered, not moving.

He sighed a big, exasperated sigh. "How long are we going to do this?"

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

"Avoid the elephant in the room."

"What elephant?" I asked, smiling now.

"The big green one in the corner," he said.

I didn't have a chance to reply as he quickly poked me in the ribs. I jumped about a mile in the air and he took advantage of my shock, quickly flipping me and pinning me to the bed.

"Still avoiding the issue?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm a bit distracted right now – the elephant will have to wait," I mumbled as I stretched up to kiss him.

An hour later we lay in each other's arms, tangled in the sheets.

"We really need to get ready," I said with a sigh.

"I know," he whispered, holding me tight.

Knowing that unless one of us pulled away now Edward would miss his flight, I slowly extracted myself from his arms. I didn't look at him as I sat on the edge of the bed and held my tears in.

I felt him move behind me and suddenly he was there next to me, his hand making gentle circles on my back.

"Don't cry honey," he whispered, leaning in. "It won't be long. We can talk every day…"

"I know," I sobbed. "I've just been spoilt, being in Chicago with you and then having you here. And at the moment I don't even have work to distract me!"

"Shh," he soothed. "You'll be back at work before you know it. You didn't do anything wrong, it's ok."

We sat there for a few more minutes until I settled down, then I offered him a watery smile. "Shower?"

He nodded and took my hand, leading me to the bathroom. We took our time washing each other and then drying each other afterwards.

I dressed quickly and rushed to make breakfast while Edward packed. I scrambled some eggs and cooked some bacon and had just served it up when he walked into the kitchen.

"Smells good baby," he said with a smile, opening the fridge to get some juice.

We ate quickly and silently then he rose and cleared the table. He filled the sink with hot water and turned to where I was still sitting. "Domestic time?" he offered with a grin.

I couldn't help myself from smiling back as I stood up. We spent the next five minutes talking about Seattle and fun things to do, making a list of what we were going to do once Edward moved.

After the washing up was done we both quickly brushed our teeth and Edward threw the last few things into his bag. I felt my eyes fill with tears again and quickly walked out to the living room. I heard his footsteps behind me and then I was crying all over his shirt.

I felt better after I let it all out so I sniffled and wiped my eyes before looking up at him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yep," I said, surprised to find that I actually meant it.

We were about to head out the door when my phone rang. "Just a sec," I said to Edward, holding up one finger. "Hello?"

"Doctor Swan? It's Doctor Johns," the deep voice came from the other end.

_Oh shit_, I thought, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Hello sir, what can I do for you?" I asked, knowing full well why he was calling.

"Given the events on the trauma floor of late, we'd like you to come in for a chat this afternoon. I know you were rostered on to start at two and I also know that you've been informed that your class has been suspended with pay at the moment. We would like for you to come in at two this afternoon for an informal chat," he finished.

"Informal?" I asked, not believing my ears.

"Doctor Swan, it is the unanimous feeling of all of the attendings and myself that neither yourself nor Doctor Whitlock have been negligent during this time. We just need to be seen to be interviewing everyone," he said kindly.

I realised I had been holding my breath and let it out slowly. "Two o'clock is fine, Doctor Johns. I'll see you then," I said, following it with a goodbye and hanging up.

"Everything ok?" Edward asked.

"I'll fill you in while we drive, otherwise you'll be late," I replied.

I finished my tale, including all of Lauren and Mike's stuff ups, as I pulled into a spot in the short stay car park at the airport. I turned off the ignition and turned to get out of my truck, but Edward stopped me.

"Bella, I don't want you to come in if it's going to be painful," he said softly, not meeting my eyes.

"Do you not want me to come in at all?" I asked, trying to hide the hurt in my voice.

"Of course I want you to come with me!" he exclaimed. "I just don't want to hurt you."

"I'll be fine," I said with a smile. "Airports are like my second home now!"

With that settled we walked hand-in-hand into the airport. I lined up with Edward while he checked his luggage and got his ticket. He led me away from the crowds and wrapped his arms around me once more.

"I guess this is it," he said to the top of my head.

I pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "It what?" I asked. "It's not like you're leaving forever. We'll talk tonight and by then I'll know what's happening at the hospital so we can plan a visit!"

He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose. "I love your optimism."

"Just gotta make the most of things," I shrugged. "You'd better go catch your plane."

"Are you sure you'll be all right? I can call Emmett or Alice, ask them to take the day off?" He was so sweet.

"I'll be fine. I'll go home and make lunch, talk to Jazz and see if he has to go in as well, make something horribly fattening for dinner…it'll be fine!" I said, squeezing him around the waist.

"I'll call you as soon as I'm in Chicago," he promised.

"Just call me when you get home, it'll be ok," I assured him.

"Okay." He sighed. "I love you Bella."

"I love you too Edward," I said, laying my cheek against his chest and listening to his heart beat.

We stood there like that for a few minutes before I pulled back and looked up at him. "You're going nowhere fast," I teased.

He grinned down at me. "I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

"Ok. You'd better get going," I said again.

He cupped my cheek with his hand and kissed me softly. "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied.

We released each other and Edward slowly walked away, smiling at me over his shoulder every few steps. When he reached the door he turned and smiled, waved and then blew me a kiss. I pretended to catch it and placed my hand on my cheek, then blew him one back. He mirrored my actions and smiled again as he headed towards his gate.

I smiled as I headed back to my truck, proud of the way I had handled his leaving. I had no doubt that one of us would visit the other again soon. I was just about to start up and head home when my phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"I'm so sorry about this morning!" Alice squealed into the phone.

I laughed. "That's ok. I've heard worse!"

"So I'm forgiven?" she asked.

"Of course you are!"

"Sweet!" she chirped. "Want to have lunch with Rose and me? We're going to Jacob's since I missed out this morning. I have a craving for their all day breakfast."

"Sounds good – I'll meet you guys there at twelve thirty?" I suggested.

"Done!" Alice said.

We said our goodbyes and hung up. Lunch taken care of, I headed home and got straight into cleaning. I was going to change my sheets but decided against it. _I'll put clean ones on when Edward comes to stay next time,_ I promised myself. I did a load of towels and cleaned the bathroom, then tidied myself up and headed to lunch.

I walked into Jacob's just as Alice and Rosalie were sitting down. Jacob didn't appear to be in but Seth came over and took our orders not long after we sat down. Rose and I both ordered a BLT and Alice got the all day breakfast – sausage, bacon, eggs, toast with fried tomatoes and mushrooms.

"So, want to fill me in on this morning?" I asked her with an evil grin.

"What happened this morning?" Rosalie asked.

"Well, Alice and Jasper were supposed to meet me and Edward here for breakfast, but Alice called and said she couldn't make it because Jasper was 'up'," I said, using air quotes.

Rose burst into giggles and Alice turned bright red.

"Up?" Rose asked.

"Up," Alice said with a nod.

Rosalie and I exchanged a glance and burst out laughing again. Once we were under control, Rose asked, "So Bella, Jacob's twice in one day?"

It was my turn to blush. "We didn't make it here either," I mumbled. "But it was because Alice bailed!" I finished as Alice snickered behind her hand.

I was saved by the food arriving. Over lunch, Alice filled me in on her grand plans. "I'm giving my notice today!" she said with a huge smile. "This time in two weeks, I'll be a free woman. Which reminds me," she added, turning to Rose. "I want to have some kind of launch on the Friday night – will you model for me? And can you round up a couple of friends as well who'll do it for free lingerie?"

"Done and done," Rose said with a smile. "I'll ask Leah and Sue – I started with both of them at the agency and they're still freelance."

"Bella, if you have time, and if I can get the room I want for free, can you maybe help out with some canapés or something? I was thinking I'd ask Emmett and Jasper to walk around with trays for me," she told us.

"I'd love to Al," I said. "You know I love to cook."

With her plans made, Alice went back to her lunch and we finished in silence. Seth cleared our plates and brought us over a plunger of the Roast of the Month. "No milk or sugar ladies," he said. "This one doesn't need it."

He wasn't wrong. The coffee had a rich nutty aroma with a hint of caramel. "I think I just found a new favourite," I told him as he came back to take the empty plunger and mugs away. Alice and I gave Rosalie our money and she followed Seth to the register, paying him and leaving a healthy tip.

We said goodbye outside and they headed back to work. It was one thirty so I decided to go to the hospital early. I arrived with fifteen minutes to spare and headed for Dr Johns' office.

Not long after I took a seat, the door opened and Mike Newton walked out, looking pale. He shot me a look and then headed straight for the elevators without saying a word.

I was called in a short while later and gave what evidence I could. I tried not to comment on things I wasn't certain about and offered my medical opinion on the events leading up to Dr Young's collapse.

I was dismissed with thanks just before three, with a promise that we should be back at work on Saturday at the latest. I walked out to find Jasper occupying the chair I had vacated a shirt while ago.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It was fine," I assured him with a smile. "Nothing to worry about. You want to come for dinner tonight?"

"If you're cooking, I'm there!" he said.

The door opened again. "Doctor Whitlock?" Dr Johns asked.

I said goodbye to Jasper and headed back to my truck. I arrived home and pulled out my favourite cook books to look for something for dinner, as well as recipes for canapés.

Edward called when he arrived home to let me know he was there safe. We talked for a while and I filled him on Alice's plans for her launch and my meeting at the hospital. We hung up just as Alice walked in the door.

"Edward get home ok?" she asked, dropping her bag beside the door.

"Yep," I replied, stretching. "I invited Jasper for dinner, didn't think you'd mind."

She looked at me. "You don't want a girl's night?"

I laughed. "Alice, it's not the end of the world – I'll see him soon enough. Want to help with dinner?" I was taking my life into my own hands letting Alice help in the kitchen.

"You're trusting me in the kitchen?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I found a risotto recipe I want to try and I could use an extra pair of hands."

"Sounds good – I just have to make a quick call," Alice said, grabbing the phone.

I stood with the recipe book and headed into the kitchen, lining up everything we'd need, from mixing bowls to saucepans. Alice walked in a few minutes later and we went through the recipe together. We started working, Alice chopping the vegetables while I did the rest. Soon the kitchen was filled with the smells of our meal and Jasper arrived just as we were serving up.

"Smells good ladies," he called from the door. He walked in to find Alice and I both still wearing aprons. "You let Alice cook?" he asked me warily.

Alice daintily poked her tongue out at him and pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge.

"It's ok Jazz, I supervised her the whole time," I told him with a smile.

"Wine?" Alice asked us both.

"I swear you girls have a never-ending supply of booze in that fridge!" Jasper exclaimed, getting three glasses down for Alice.

"Last time Carlisle and Esme were here they bought us a mixed dozen," Alice said. "We keep them hidden in the pantry but every time we drink a white we replace it."

We chatted through dinner about the hospital and Alice's plans for her lingerie. "I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. "Rose called me back this afternoon to let me know she's rounded up three friends of hers, Kate, Leah and Sue, and they're all happy to model for me! Rose will wear her own set, Kate is similar colouring to you," she said, indicating me, "so she'll wear the 'Bella' set, Leah has really dark hair so she'll wear the 'Sunset' set I'm making, and that leaves sue with 'Evergreen'," Alice finished.

"Sunset and Evergreen?" I asked.

"The Sunset one is a topaz colour with a rust coloured lace, and Evergreen is an emerald colour with the same silver lace that your set has," Alice filled me in.

"Maybe I should theme the canapés around those colours then…don't know that I can do anything blue, but I can do some sundried tomatoes, some spinach or something, maybe some caramelised mangoes or something…" I mused.

"You could use blue napkins?" Jasper suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Alice said. And then she was off, chattering about making vests for Emmett and Jasper to match the lingerie and so forth. I tuned out for a while, coming back to the conversation when Jasper asked if I wanted to watch a movie with him while Alice worked.

We settled on _The Bourne Identity_ and it was almost finished when Alice came in and sat down on Jasper's lap. "I'm tired," she mumbled into his neck.

"Hang tight for a few minutes until this finishes?" he asked.

She nodded sleepily and by the time the movie was over she was fast asleep. Jasper rose with her in his arms and carried her to her room. He came out a few minutes later. "She's out of it so I'll head home. Want to do something tomorrow?"

"You can taste test some of my ideas for canapés if you want?" I offered.

A smile lit up his face. "You're on. See you round eleven?"

"Works for me." I walked him to the door and he gave me hug on his way out.

After locking the door I quickly brushed my teeth and left Alice a note next to our toothbrushes, letting her know Jasper had headed home and to wake me in the morning so I could drive her to work and get some stuff from the supermarket on my way home.

I crawled into bed and quickly dozed off, dreaming of Edward and a mass of blue and silver.

I woke the next morning to Alice perching lightly on the side of my bed with a steaming cup of coffee. "For you," she said, extending it.

I sat up slowly and took the mug, sipping carefully. "To what do I owe this honour?" I asked with a smile.

"No reason, just wanted to," she said. "I guess I just wanted to thank you for being so supportive of my whole business idea."

"Well, you're good at it and you're passionate," I said. "What more could I want for you?"

I dropped Alice off outside her office just before 8 and headed to the supermarket. I stocked up on puff pastry and filo pastry and grabbed some fresh veggies and a few different spices.

By the time Jasper arrived at 11 I had a tray of different bite-size nibbles for him to try. I didn't tell him what was in any of them until after he'd given me his opinion. We narrowed it down to three different ones as his favourites and agreed to run them past Alice when she got home that night.

We were cleaning up when his phone rang.

"Jasper Whitlock speaking," he answered. "Mmm hmm…yes, I can be there…she's right here actually…not a problem…thank you sir…good bye."

"What was that?" I asked anxiously.

"Johns," he said. "We have to be at the hospital in an hour."

"Did he say why?"

"He wants to meet with all the residents, didn't say much more though," Jasper told me.

An hour later we were sitting in the conference room at the hospital. The only other time I'd ever been in there was on my first day when we got the tour.

"I wonder where Mallory and Newton are?" he whispered.

I shrugged in response, not wanting to share my theories.

The chatter stopped abruptly when Doctor Johns walked in with Doctor Taylor and Doctor Hussey.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "I've called you all together to discuss a very serious matter which you all know about. The residents from intake four A have been suspended on full pay after the seizure of an intern under their supervision recently. After a full inquiry, two members of that intake are no longer residents at this hospital. Their places will be filled by the end of next week. I would like to thank the residents from intake four B for covering for their colleagues over the past two and a half days. Residents from four A will be allowed back on the floor as of six tomorrow morning – your amended rosters will be available from Doctor Taylor at the conclusion of this meeting. The remainder of this week and next week will see many of you rostered on double shifts or back up shifts to cover the short fall in residents. If you have any concerns, please see Doctor Taylor."

Doctor Hussey stood up. "Doctor Johns has asked me to come along to talk to all of you about what we all expect of you in light of these circumstances. On a personal level, I have been impressed with the way the majority of you have handled what's been going on. Your patient care has remained at a high standard and your teaching and supervision of interns has not fallen by the way side. However, we need to make sure that an incident of this nature does not occur again, and as a result, each intern will be randomly questioned and quizzed by myself and the other attendings over the next month about each of the cases they work on." He sat down again.

Doctor Johns stood now. "Thank you all for your time this afternoon – I trust that you all understand this hospital is under extreme scrutiny from the AMA and the press – please keep your opinions about this incident to yourselves. You are dismissed."

Jasper and I sat for a minute while the room started to empty out. We took our new rosters from Dr Taylor on our way out and compared them in the car.

"Looks like its just the rest of this week and next week that's changed," Jasper mused. "What are you on tomorrow?"

"Morning, then backing up for the graveyard. You?" I asked.

"Afternoon, then backing up for the day shift on Saturday," he answered.

We gossiped all the way home about Lauren and Mike, not really caring how they were feeling but wondering how long it would be before they approached the media about their dismissal. We pulled up at my building.

"So I'm thinking I'll pick Alice up and take her to dinner tonight, then she can stay at my place so you can get to bed early?" Jasper said, almost thinking out loud.

"And so you guys can have some time together before we start the next eight days of hell?" I quipped.

"That too. At least our shifts have stayed the same for Alice's launch weekend – there's no way I'd disappoint her like that," Jasper said with a grin.

"She'd never forgive you!" I teased. "See you later when you bring her to get clothes?"

He nodded as I climbed out his car. I stood and waved as he drove off, then headed inside. I spent the rest of the afternoon making sure I had all my scrubs and favourite work t-shirts clean and making a list of what tasks I could fit in on what days.

I called Edward just after 5, hoping he'd be home. We talked for almost an hour about the meeting at the hospital and how he was really wrapping things up in Chicago now.

"I probably won't be able to call much over the next few days," I told him sadly.

"It's ok – you have to work. We'll talk when we can," he said.

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I made myself a small bowl of mac and cheese for dinner and then made a bigger serving for work for the next couple of days. I left it to cool on the bench while I ran myself a bath.

I grabbed my robe from my bedroom and headed back the bathroom. A few minutes later I was immersed in the lavender-scented bubbles, relaxing and daydreaming about Edward and a desert island.

"Bella? Are you here?" I heard Alice call a while later.

"In the tub," I shouted back.

"Ok. I'm just grabbing some stuff and then going to Jasper's," she said from the other side of the door.

"Talk to you tomorrow," I called, going back to my island.

I pulled the plug when the water was too cool to sit in any more and headed for bed, snuggling under the covers after setting my alarm.

I reached out for my phone and sent Edward a quick message;

_Going to sleep now, wish you were here. Talk soon. xB_

A few minutes after sending it my phone beeped softly.

_Love you too baby, sleep tight. xE_

I placed my phone back on my bedside table and drifted off to sleep.

The next eight days passed in a blur. I had the whole of Tuesday off but other than that I was either at work or asleep. I walked out of the hospital with Jasper on Thursday night at 6pm, feeling elated not only because our run of double and back up shifts was over, but because I had the next two days off.

"Lots of cooking tomorrow, huh?" he asked with a smile as we drove away in my truck.

"Yes and no, I managed to get a bit done last night and I'll probably do some more tonight, but yes, tomorrow will be busy," I said.

"Alice is so excited – she's been working so hard!" he said with a proud smile.

We rode the rest of the way in silence and Jasper dropped me off. "See you at the launch!" he called as he drove away.

I ran inside and Alice jumped on me as soon as I walked in the door. "Its tomorrow!" she cheered. "Come see what I've been doing!"

I followed her into the dining room. There were four garment bags laying across the table. She opened each one, showing me the lingerie inside, ready for the girls. Next she showed me the vests she'd made for the boys. They were a standard waistcoat, red with a black back for Emmett and emerald green with a silver back for Jasper.

"Who are the other two for?" I asked.

"Ooh! I've hardly seen you to tell you! Dad agreed to be the announcer for the night so his is the topaz and black one, and I didn't want Edward to feel left out so his is the blue and silver one!" she chirped.

I smiled. "You've worked so hard!"

"And I've got napkins in all four colours, and Rosalie and Emmett are helping to decorate the room, and the bar will be open and we'll have your food – it'll all be perfect!" She clapped her hands and bounced.

It was contagious. "So what am I going to wear? If one of your models is in my dress…"

"But she won't be! I didn't make the dress for you as part of the range – it's just for you!" Alice smiled. "So you can wear it…if you want to?"

"Of course I want to! I'll be the only person there in her very own AC Design original!" I said, giving her a hug.

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Ooh, dinner!" Alice rushed to the door and came back in with Chinese takeout.

We spent the rest of the night finalising plans and went to bed early to get ready for the next day.

Alice woke me just after 9 with another steaming coffee. I drank it while I dressed and then headed for the kitchen. By lunchtime I was almost done as I sealed another lot of canapés into a container to take to the club where Alice was having her launch.

She called me at one to let me know that she, Emmett and Rose would be at our place in half an hour so I pulled some soup out of the freezer and had it ready when they arrived. We ate quickly and Rose and Emmett left with promises to meet us there at 8, ready for the launch at 9.

Alice and I both took time out for a nap during the afternoon and I was up and cooking again at four. We had a quick dinner of quiche and salad at seven and then we both took short showers and got ready to go.

We arrived at the venue just before eight and I helped Alice carry the garment bags and vests in. I set up the canapés on the table in the corner, ready for Jasper and Emmett to carry around. Rose arrived with her model friends soon after we did and Alice disappeared out the back with them.

Carlisle and Esme arrived at 8:30 and Carlisle went to find Alice while Esme set up her camera and tripod in front of the makeshift cat walk. Jasper came in five minutes later with Emmett and they quickly donned their vests and started circulating with food.

Five minutes before 9 I stepped out the back to wish Alice luck. "I'm so nervous," she said, stepping from one foot to the other.

"It'll be brilliant," I assured her. "All of your fabric suppliers are out there and the room is full of women who will love your stuff."

"Ready?" Carlisle asked, coming up and hugging Alice.

"As I'll ever be!" Alice squeaked.

I hurried back out the front and took my place next to Esme as Carlisle walked out and motioned to the guys running the lights and sound that we were ready to start.

Over the next half hour I heard some of the most flattering things I'd ever heard, all about Alice's creations. Carlisle wrapped things up by calling Alice out and introducing her to the masses and she received the loudest cheer of all. The models took one final turn on the catwalk with Alice in between and then it was all over.

Esme hugged me with a huge smile. "How brilliant was that!" I exclaimed.

"I can't wait to show Alice the photos!" she said, grabbing her camera and heading backstage.

I was about to head over and check on the food when a man's voice coming from behind stopped me.

"What's a beautiful woman like you doing down here, instead of being on that catwalk?"

I turned, ready to give a smart-ass reply but my words stuck in my throat. Standing behind me with a tray of my canapés in his hand, wearing his blue and silver vest, was Edward.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N:** Wow! You guys are amazing! The last chapter was my most reviewed chapter so far!

Hopefully this chapter keeps you going for a while – it's kind of full of lemons. I promise I'll update as soon as I can!

Happy reading!

Chapter 38

I felt my mouth drop open a split second before tears sprang into my eyes. "What are you doing here?" I blurted out.

He grinned. "Alice decided she needed three servers tonight, so here I am!"

I shook my head in disbelief. "You need to put that tray down," I said.

I followed him over to the corner where the food was sitting and waited impatiently for him to set his tray down. When he finally turned to face me I launched myself into his arms.

"You and Alice are in so much trouble," I mumbled against his neck.

"This has been planned for the last two weeks honey – it was so hard not to tell you!" he said, pulling back and kissing me softly.

"Bella!" I heard Alice squeal. "And Edward!" I felt her tiny little body crash into my back before she threw her arms around us both.

I managed to extricate myself and gave her a proper hug. "That was _brilliant_! I can't believe how well received it all was!"

"I'm just glad the nervous part is over…now I just have to go and schmooze with my potential new clients and suppliers!" She danced off and was immediately surrounded.

Two hours later we were all standing outside, ready to go home. Rosalie's model friends had left not long after the show but Rose had hung around and was now telling us she'd been approached by three different modelling agencies.

Carlisle and Esme said their goodbyes first, sliding into Carlisle's Mercedes for the drive to their hotel. Alice had given the lingerie she'd made to each of the models and the boys were still wearing their vests so there were no garment bags to be taken care of. She was holding a small overnight bag and standing next to Emmett's Jeep.

"I'm staying at Jasper's tonight, then I have meetings with suppliers all day tomorrow," she said with a grin. "So you two lovebirds have the apartment to yourselves until I get home tomorrow night."

"Speaking of, did we want to go out tomorrow night?" Rose asked. "No silly drinking games, maybe dinner at our place and we can go from there?"

Edward squeezed me gently before whispering in my ear, "Do we have to? I'd rather stay in with you all night."

My body tingled at the sensation of his breath on my ear. "Sounds good Rose," I said, trying to ignore Edward's obvious erection digging into my back. "But I can't stay out too late – I have to work on Sunday and I'm guessing I'll need to take this one to the airport." I inclined my head towards Edward.

"Brilliant!" Emmett boomed. "I'll pick the three of you up at six so you don't have to drive."

We all said our goodbyes then. Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all climbed into the Jeep and Edward and I drove away in my truck.

We parked downstairs and stepped into the lift. "Where's all your stuff?" I asked.

"In Alice's room," he said with a sheepish smile. "I brought it over while you were napping this afternoon…you didn't really think she'd be able to sleep before the show, did you?"

I slapped his chest playfully as we stepped off on my floor. "Rat bag."

We walked through the door and I locked it quickly behind me. Before I had a chance to put my bag down Edward crushed me between his body and the door.

"You look so good in that dress," he growled into my ear, sliding his hands down to cup my ass. "And you're going to look even better out of it."

I dropped my keys and purse and threaded my fingers in his hair. "Missed me, have we?" I teased.

He responded by devouring my lips with his own, moving his hands to unzip my dress. I slid my hands between us and unbuttoned his vest and shirt, sliding them off his shoulders and onto the floor.

We broke apart briefly so I could take off my shoes, and Edward tugged my dress off my body after kicking his own shoes off and pulling off his socks. He pulled me against him again, running his hands back down to my butt.

"A g-string Bella? What possessed you to wear something so…sexy?" He breathed the last word against my neck before kissing his way out to my shoulder while running his fingers under the thin band around my waist.

_Thank you, _Alice, I thought to myself, making a mental note to thank Alice for my lingerie from her range.

I moaned and pushed myself closer to him. "I was thinking of you," I admitted. "I've been missing you so much, I thought if I felt sexy when I went out tonight that I could come home and call you…" I let my voice trail off as I looked up at him.

"You wanted me to talk to you while you touched yourself?" he asked. I felt his body react to the thought.

I nodded and leaned in towards him. "But now I don't need to," I whispered. "Because you're here to do it for me." I sucked his earlobe into my mouth and bit down gently, sending a shudder down his spine.

I took advantage of his moment of weakness and quickly undid his belt and trousers, letting them fall to the floor. I placed my hand squarely over his erection.

"Take me to bed, Edward," I purred.

He lifted me in his arms and carried me to my room, kicking the door shut behind him and practically throwing me onto my bed. He crawled over me and crushed his body to mine. "I'm going to make you feel so good," he murmured, sliding his hand around my back to unclasp my bra. Once he got the hooks undone I slid my arms from the straps, delighting in the feeling of his mouth consuming my breast.

My legs wrapped around his body of their own accord and I ground myself up into him. "Slowly, my Bella," he breathed against my skin. "The night is only just beginning."

We spent the next hour touching, stroking and teasing each other. So many times I begged him to make love to me and each time he'd tease me in a new way. When he moved down my body and started placing soft, wet kisses against my centre I lost control.

"Edward, for fuck's sake, if you're not inside me in the next five seconds I'm going to have to tie you to this bed and have my way with you!"

I saw the corners of his mouth turn up as he slid his way up my body, slowly entering me as his face drew level with mine. I moaned in relief.

"As tempting as you having your way with me sounds, right now I just want to make you feel amazing," he said, looking into my eyes as he started to move.

We made love slowly, gently, a stark comparison to the frenzied beginning of our evening. We climaxed together and I curled up in his arms afterwards, a silly grin taking over my face.

"I missed you," he whispered to the top of my head.

My arm snaked across his bare torso and I cuddled in closer. "I missed you too."

"Alice said you have tomorrow off…" he hinted.

"Mmm hmm," I replied, not wanting to think about anything but the moment we were in.

"Did you want to do something fun?" he prompted.

"Mmm hmm."

"Did you want to go to sleep?"

"Mmm hmm."

He chuckled softly and we fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

I woke the next morning to the sun coming in through the partly opened blinds in my room and soft music in the background. I rolled over to find Edward propped up on one elbow, smiling at me.

"You're beautiful when you sleep," he said softly.

"You were watching me sleep?" I was mortified.

He answered by leaning down and kissing me gently.

"What's the music?" I asked, looking over to my iPod dock. My white iPod was laying next to it, and unfamiliar blue one plugged in and obviously playing.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I do – the pianist is amazing," I said truthfully.

He took a deep breath. "It's me."

I searched his face, realisation hitting me like a Mack truck. "You?" I asked. "That's you?"

He nodded, a look of uncertainty on his face. "Do you still like it?"

I giggled and kissed his nose. "I love it even more! Tell me about the songs…but turn it up first!"

He walked naked over to the dock and grabbed the remote. I almost drooled at the sight of his naked body making its way gracefully back to my bed. He slid in under the covers and pulled me against his side. He pointed the remote across the room and turned the volume up before flicking through the songs until he found the one he was looking for.

"This is _A Song for Alice_," he said simply. "I wrote it for her as an eighteenth birthday gift."

I lay in his arms letting the tune envelope me. "It reminds me of Alice – all happy and playful." I lifted myself up and smiled at him.

"That's what I had in mind when I wrote it for her," he said with a smile.

I snuggled back against him and listened to the rest of the song. "What's next?"

He flicked through the songs again before letting another one play. This one was deeper, slower, quite moody.

"Tell me about this one," I prompted.

"This one doesn't really have a name, I wrote it after Stephenie and I broke up," he explained. "I was in a dark place and music has always brought me out of those kind of moods."

I listened as the song continued, the pace gradually increasing as the notes climbed into a crescendo before dropping off to something quite soft and gentle.

"I wrote it as a first and second movement," he said, gently running his fingers up and down my arm. "The first is the dark, heavy part at the beginning that I wrote while I was still raw. The second is the lighter and softer part – I wrote it a few months after we split and I was healing."

A stray tear fell from my eye as I looked up at him again. "It's beautiful – all of it. Knowing the story behind it makes it even more amazing – that you can express your emotions like that is phenomenal."

"That you understand me enough to know that my emotions are in that song is what's phenomenal," he whispered as the song ended.

I lay there looking into his eyes as the next song started. "I didn't write this one, it's one of Esme's favourites," he explained.

"I know this one!" I said, happy that I had some idea. "It's _Clair de Lune_!"

He smiled at my excitement. "Very good," he said, tapping the end of my nose with his index finger.

I lay down again, resting my head on his stomach so I could look up at him. "You're very good," I whispered.

He smiled down at me. "Thank you."

We lay in silence, listening to the remainder of the piece.

"There's one more I'd like you to hear," Edward said, sounding nervous. He sat up and skipped to the last song on the playlist.

I listened as the beautiful, soulful melody filled my bedroom. It made my heart feel warm and my body light – I felt better than I'd ever felt before in my life. I turned my head to ask Edward what this song was but he placed his finger against my lips. "Just listen," he whispered.

I closed my eyes and felt a smile creep across my face as the music reached its peak, amazing harmonies and deep notes combining to make me feel as though I was walking on air. The song eventually ended with a few soft chords and I slowly opened my eyes to find Edward watching me.

"That was incredible," I whispered, not wanting to break the feeling in the room.

"So is my inspiration," he whispered back, leaning over and capturing my lips in a tender kiss.

I pulled back, stunned. "You wrote that for _me_?"

"For you, about you, because of you," he replied. "Did you like it?"

I crawled across the bed and straddled his lap. "Edward, what I know about music you could fit on the tip of a scalpel. All I know is that piece moved me and made me feel things that no piece of music has ever made me feel before."

He buried his head in my neck and I felt his body shake. I stroked his hair until he lifted his head to face me.

"Thank you," he whispered against my lips.

"Make love to me?" I breathed back, rocking my hips against his body. He lifted me and slowly slid inside me, rocking back against me. His legs hung off the side of the bed and mine were wrapped around his waist. His music continued to play as we made love, which only intensified the feelings we were sharing.

I lay in his arms afterwards, listening to his gentle, even breathing while he slept.

_I don't know how I got so lucky_, I thought to myself. _But I swear I'm not going to screw this up._

I must have drifted off as well because the next thing I knew, Edward was standing next to me in Alice's pink apron and nothing else, holding a tray. I smiled lazily up at him. "What's all this?"

"Lunch," he answered. "Your stomach was growling while you slept so I thought I'd wake you up with food."

"Sounds good," I said, sitting up and covering myself with the sheet.

"That's enough of that," he said, indicating the sheet. "If you're not naked, you don't get lunch."

"_You're_ not naked," I countered.

He set the tray on the end of the bed and quickly removed the apron. "Better?" He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Much," I replied, letting the sheet fall to my waist again.

He handed me my lunch – a ham and mustard pickle sandwich – before setting the tray on the floor.

"How did you know I like mustard pickles? Maybe they were Alice's?" I asked.

"Alice has never eaten mustard pickles in her life, so I took an educated guess they were yours," he said with a cocky smirk.

I snorted and then smiled, digging into my lunch. He handed me an apple when we were both finished our sandwiches. I bit into it and felt the juice trickle down my chin. I went to wipe it up but Edward stopped my hand.

"Allow me," he whispered huskily before licking from the underside of my chin up to my lips.

I couldn't stop the moan that escaped at the feeling of his tongue on my body. Edward reached for my hand and took the apple, placing it back on the tray.

"If you like it when I lick apple juice from your chin…" he growled against my ear.

"Yes?" I couldn't believe how breathy my voice was.

He slowly pulled the sheet back and gently separated my legs. "Sit on the edge of the bed for me Bella."

I turned so my legs were hanging off the edge of the bed and Edward knelt on the floor between them. He moved in slowly, blowing cool air across my centre, making me whimper involuntarily. When his tongue made contact my arms gave out and I collapsed backwards on the mattress.

"Holy fuck!" I moaned, throwing my legs over his shoulders.

He moaned against me at my reaction, sending a shockwave up my spine. "More!" I begged.

It didn't take long for him to send me into orbit, and when I came back down and opened my eyes I found him gazing longingly at me.

"You look amazing when you let go," he said, grabbing my knees and forcing them apart again. "Do you want more?"

I nodded, moving to sit up.

"Stay where you are," he ordered, lifting my legs so they were wrapped around his hips. He slowly entered me and his head fell back as the most delicious moan fell from his lips. "You feel so good," he breathed as he started moving.

It didn't take long before we were both grunting and moaning. He was hitting spots inside me that I didn't know existed and I felt another climax building.

"Edward, I can't hold out much longer," I groaned.

"Then don't," he replied. His eyes, heavy with lust, locked onto mine. "Come with me Bella."

My world exploded around me as Edward collapsed on top of me. "Wow," he breathed into my neck.

"Wow indeed," I said back, trying to catch my breath.

We both jumped when his cell phone rang out in the living room. He stood slowly and then ran bare-assed from my room. "Hello?" I heard him answer. "Hey Em…yep…what time is now?..holy shit!..yeah, just slept a bit…see you then…bye."

He hung up as he walked back into my room. I'd dragged myself back so I was fully on the bed. "Emmett?" I asked.

He nodded. "He asked if you can raid your wine collection for dinner tonight, something about Rosalie is making some spicy chicken dish and he doesn't know what wine should go with it."

"Not a problem," I said, stretching my arms above my head.

"Don't tempt me," he said with a smirk, sitting down beside me.

I quickly curled up into a ball and poked my tongue out.

"Very mature, Bella. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"After lunch?" I guessed.

"Well and truly – it's almost four o'clock!" he said.

"Crap!" I exclaimed, sitting up. "Alice will be home soon and our clothes are still all over the house from last night."

"Relax," he whispered, leaning over and kissing my forehead. "Why don't you go and shower while I pick up our clothes, then I'll shower when you're done."

I smiled and slid off the side of the bed, stretching again once I was on my feet.

"Bella," he growled warningly.

I smiled over my shoulder then walked over and grabbed my robe off the door. "I'm going, I'm going."

I stepped carefully into the hot water and relaxed as it massaged my muscles. I took my time washing my body, taking care to shave where I needed to. I lathered my hair in my favourite strawberry shampoo and rinsed it out, following it with my conditioner. I let it sit for a few minutes while I scrubbed my face with my gritty exfoliator. I rinsed the conditioner from my hair and wrung it out before turning off the shower and grabbing a towel to wrap my hair in. I grabbed a second one for my body and stepped from the shower just as Edward knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Can you handle me being wrapped in a towel?" I replied, unlocking the door.

"I'll manage," he answered, walking in, still naked.

"Get in the shower before I take advantage of you," I joked, swatting him playfully on the butt.

I dried my body off while he was in the shower and wrapped myself in my robe before attacking my hair with the hair dryer. I was putting it away when Alice burst through the bathroom door, just as Edward opened the shower door to reach for a towel.

"Argh!" they both screamed, Alice covering her eyes and running out and Edward bursting out laughing,

I giggled as I handed him a towel. "You might want to get decent before you come out," I suggested.

I found Alice in her room, trying to decide what to wear out. "How was your day?" I asked, flopping on her bed and tucking my legs under me.

She launched into a blow-by-blow account of her meetings. She'd decided on a fabric supplier after meeting with three of them and had the contract in her bag for Edward to look over before she signed it. She'd gone to a label-making service about having AC Design tags made to be sewn into her clothes but decided they were too expensive so she was going to look at other options. She'd taken lunch to Jasper at the hospital and met a few of our work colleagues.

"Now," she said, finally drawing breath. "What are you wearing tonight?"

"Alice, I am perfectly capable of dressing myself," I warned her.

She grinned. "I don't think it matters what you wear – Edward is going to jump you when you get home regardless!"

"Lovely – are you staying at Jasper's again tonight?"

"Yep – but I'll be here when you get back from the airport tomorrow, 'kay?"

I smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I'm going to get ready – see you in a bit!"

Edward was getting dressed in my room when I walked in. I let out a low wolf-whistle. Grey shirt, top couple of buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, dark jeans and his Docs – what more could I want?

He smiled. "See something you like?"

I nodded and walked over to my closet, not letting him distract me. "Yep. Now I just have to find something that you like."

"Taking that robe off would be a good start," he suggested. I glared at him over my shoulder and then cracked up laughing when he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I settled on a pair of jeans with dark blue embroidery up the sides and a low-cut baby pink top. "How do I look?" I asked, doing a careful twirl.

"Perfect," he answered, rising from his position on the bed to give me a gentle hug.

"I'm going to do my hair and my face, I think Alice has a contract for you to look at," I told him.

"Sure do," she said, almost magically appearing in the doorway. "You go read while Bella and I make ourselves even more beautiful!"

Edward took the contract from her and headed for the living room while Alice and I headed back to the bathroom. We both kept our makeup light and fresh and she brushed her short hair and left it as it was.

"Can I do you hair, Bella?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied, kneeling on the mat so she could reach. "But keep it simple."

When Alice was finished I admired her handiwork in the mirror. "Perfect!" I declared. She'd tied my hair into a ponytail with a side part then twisted sections of my hair to make a loopy bun on the back of my head. "Emmett should be here soon…" I was cut off by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Edward yelled.

We walked into the living room as Edward closed the door behind Emmett. "Wow! You girlies scrub up ok!" he joked. Edward rolled his eyes behind his younger brother.

"Just let me get my keys and stuff and we'll be ready," Alice said.

Ten minutes later with wine in hand we were in the Jeep and heading to Rosalie and Emmett's apartment. Alice gave the boys a similar description of her day to the one she'd given me, and Edward gave her the legal ok to sign the contract with the fabric supplier.

We sat down to dinner not long after we arrived, Rosalie serving up her Portugese chicken on a bed of rice with steamed vegetables on the side.

"No Jasper?" Edward asked.

"Working till eight," Alice said through a mouthful of food. "He'll meet us here after."

"This is awesome Rose," I said.

"Thanks," she replied. "And thanks for bringing the wine!"

After dinner we moved into their living room and Edward, Emmett and Alice had Rosalie and me in stitches with stories of their childhood. Jasper walked in a little after 8:30 and Rose went and heated up some dinner for him.

We walked further into the city around 10 and lined up at Blackbill again.

"Hey, you're Alice Cullen!" the girl in front of us said, recognising Alice.

"Yeah…" Alice replied slowly.

"I was at your launch," the girl explained. "When will you be open for business?"

Alice's face broke out in a blinding smile. "I'm taking orders now but as yet I can't guarantee a delivery date," she said, fishing in her purse. "Here's my card – if you email that address I'll get back to you."

"Sweet! Do you have a few more of these I can pass on to my friends?" the girl asked.

Alice handed over a few more cards and the girl turned back to the people she was with.

"That was so cool!" Alice bubbled.

We descended the stairs into the club a short while later and the boys headed to the bar while us girls grabbed a table near the dance floor.

The next few hours were some of the best of my life. I was with my two best girlfriends in Alice and Rosalie, my two best guy friends in Jasper and Emmett, and the love of my life. None of us drank that much, we just talked, laughed and danced the night away.

It was close to three in the morning when we decided to call it a night. Edward and I joined the cab line after saying goodbye to the others. We finally got home just before four.

"I'm exhausted," I declared, flopping down on the bed.

"Me too," Edward agreed, sitting down and unlacing his Docs so he could take them off. We both quickly cleaned our teeth and changed into pyjamas.

"What time does your flight leave?" I asked, picking up my dreaded alarm clock.

"Twenty five past twelve, so we should get up around ten?" he suggested.

I set the alarm and crawled under the covers, instinctively snuggling into his side.

"Three weeks Bella,' he whispered, "then I can hold you every night."

I fell asleep with that thought in my mind and a smile on my lips.

**A/N:** I know I don't normally put notes at the end, but this one would've spoiled the chapter. In answer to a few PMs I got when Edward wrote Bella's Song, yes, I have a background in music. I can't write a piece to save my life, but I can play pretty much whatever is put in front of me. Hopefully my writing made all you non-music people feel what I wanted it to.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N:** Sorry this has been so long coming. And I know it's short, but this was a good place to leave things.

Please vote in the poll on my profile page! This story was only going to have 40 chapters (nice round number, me being a Libra and all!) but I can see that it'll go to at least 41. So we're almost at the end of the beginning…

Happy reading!

Chapter 39

I woke the next morning before the alarm and rolled over to cuddle with Edward…except his side of the bed was empty. I tried not to jump to any conclusions but couldn't get past the knot that had formed in my stomach. Reaching out, I cancelled the alarm as I climbed out of bed and stuck my feet in my slippers. I crossed the room to my door and opened it quietly, listening for him. Nothing. No cooking smells, no music, no running water. The knot in my stomach grew bigger as I shuffled out to the kitchen.

I didn't realise I'd been holding my breath until it all came out in a rush when I saw the note on the counter. I picked it up and smiled;

_**Bella,**_

_**You looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake you. I've gone out to get breakfast, I will be home before ten.**_

_**Love Edward.**_

I was placing it back on the counter when I heard keys jingling outside the door. I walked over and took a peek through the spy-hole just to be safe then opened the door.

"Morning gorgeous!" I said as Edward's face lit up.

"Morning gorgeous yourself!" he replied, dropping a quick kiss on the top of my head as he moved past.

"Whatever you've got in that bag, it smells fantastic!" I felt like I was drooling from the smell.

He moved into the kitchen and started unpacking. "Two extra large French vanilla coffees and two all day breakfasts from Jacob's!" he announced, pulling the Styrofoam boxes from the bag and setting them down.

We sat at the kitchen table and ate, both making little mmmphing sounds.

"I'm going to put on so much weight when I move here if I keep eating like this," he said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin before throwing it in his now-empty breakfast box and closing it.

I drained the last of my coffee and took his hand across the table. "Well, maybe you'll just have to _exercise_ more," I suggested with a wink.

His eyes twinkled as he replied, "But exercise makes me sweaty."

I couldn't help it – I took the bait. "Well maybe you should exercise in the shower?"

"You are a dangerous woman," he growled, coming around the table and lifting me out of my chair. "Bathroom. Now."

When we emerged from the shower half an hour later I had a text from Jasper;

_Bella, Alice wants to know if you want us to come to the airport with you._

"Typical Alice, not wanting to intrude but tricking Jasper to do it for her," Edward commented, reading over my shoulder.

I quickly messaged back;

_J, it's ok. After I say goodbye to Edward I'll be coming home, eating, and going to work. Tell Al not to worry. xB_

After we were dressed and Edward was packed we curled up together on the couch.

"You look deep in thought," he said softly.

"Just thinking about the next three weeks, wondering what life has in store for me before you come back," I replied with a smile.

"Nothing but good things, baby, nothing but good things."

We snuggled for a while longer until it was time to go. Edward threw his bag in the bed of my truck and we headed once more for the airport.

"Are you excited?" I asked him.

"Not really, I'm leaving again," he said, looking sad.

"But this time is the last time you'll be leaving!" I couldn't believe how happy I was feeling.

Edward turned his head towards me and I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. "You have a very good point there."

"Of course I do! Did you expect any less?" I teased.

He shook his head and laughed. "I love you, Bella Swan."

"Love you too!" I shot back as I turned into the parking lot at the airport for the last time.

Our farewell was quick and tearless, both us holding on to the fact that this was the last goodbye.

"I'll call you when I get back to Chicago," Edward said.

"Have a safe trip home," I said back, stretching up to give him one last kiss before he left.

"I'm home when I'm _here_," he whispered to me.

I pulled back and smiled. "Damn straight you are. Now get that sexy butt moving so our three weeks can start, and then end sooner!"

We laughed together and shared a final kiss before he headed for his security checkpoint. He waved at me as he passed through and I headed back to my truck.

When I got home I found Alice and Jasper watching re-runs of _Friends_.

"How goes it?" she asked as I flopped down in one of our arm chairs.

"Goes good – the three week countdown starts today!" I replied, flashing a smile.

"I bet you can't wait," Jasper commented.

"I bet I can't either!" I shot back, still smiling. "I gotta get ready for work."

I headed for my room to get changed. My attention was immediately drawn to the bed when I walked in. Propped up on my pillow were a CD and a small, stuffed green elephant.

I opened the CD case and a note fell out;

_**To my Bella,**_

_**These are the songs we listened to together – hopefully they make the next three weeks a little more bearable. And the elephant? Well, he can't do for you what I can, but he'll stop us from avoiding the elephant in the room when we're together again.**_

_**All my love, Edward.**_

I quickly put the CD in the small CD player next to my iPod dock and let Edward's music fill my room. I picked up the elephant and gave it a quick squeeze, smiling as I thought of the events that followed my elephant comment when Edward was here. I pulled on a black long-sleeved t-shirt and my scrubs and pulled a light jacket out of my closet. The nights weren't too chilly but leaving at work at midnight you could never be sure.

I waved goodbye to Alice and Jasper as I headed out the door, promising to help Alice hand-sew tags into her clothes over the next few days.

My shift passed slowly with only three patients on the floor. Edward called me when he got back to his house to let me know he was there and we chatted for almost half an hour.

Long phone calls became a trend over the following three weeks. I emailed Edward a copy of my roster so he knew when I was working and when I was likely to be sleeping and we scheduled phone calls around my work and sleep patterns.

The weeks flew past. Alice's business took off like a rocket to the point that she advertised for people with sewing experience. She had officially registered her business and had a staff of four as well as herself. The four women working for her were all stay-at-home mothers who worked from home. Alice paid them for each garment they completed as well as paying for the maintenance, and in once case upgrade, of their machines. She had opted for printed labels once she realised how popular her lingerie was and had an order list a mile long.

She was also working on new creations, including silk pyjama sets consisting of button up, long sleeve tops and long pants. Rosalie and I had both been gifted pairs in "our" colours even though the weather was a bit warm still. She had also released a small men's range of boxers, robes and long pyjama pants and they were selling fast. We were planning another show for the colder months to officially launch the men's range which she anticipated would grow and to release the new garments in the women's range. Her plans included Edward, Emmett and Jasper modelling but we weren't sure how comfortable they would be with the idea.

The weekend after Edward flew back to Chicago, Carlisle and Esme moved back to Olympia and Carlisle started back at work at Virginia Mason the following Monday. By the end of the week he had been asked to act as Chief of Staff for the hospital pending permanent filling and he accepted.

Esme had decided to get back into her former career as an interior designer. Little did I know she was also a qualified architect and she immediately started looking for a place for Alice to establish a store to sell her clothing from, with room for a workshop for sewing. Alice, Rosalie and I spent a lot of time with Esme, designing plans, coming up with colour schemes and generally enjoying girl time.

Rosalie and Emmett were making wedding plans, having set a tentative date for June next year. Alice and I had been asked to be bridesmaids, which Alice only accepted on the proviso that she got to make not only Rose's wedding dress, but dresses for us, ties and vests for the boys, and outfits for Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie was left with no choice but to agree.

Lauren and Mike had both appealed their terminations and both had lost. There were whispers in the halls about them taking the hospital to court but no-one was taking it seriously. They both had so many breaches against them that were only just coming out that I was surprised they hadn't been booted out sooner.

Jessica seemed to have undergone a personality change. She wasn't exactly pleasant to me but the snarkiness was gone and she spoke to me without the grunts. The male doctors still got her undivided attention and I didn't really expect that to change. I was on the graveyard shift one night and she sought me out when she was going to get coffee. Most of the nurses would track down the doctors and offer but Jessica generally only tried to find the men. I accepted her offer and we spent some time chatting at the nurses' station.

Edward called me the Friday of the second week not long after I got home from work.

"Hey there good lookin'" he said.

"Not feeling so good looking," I replied as I flopped down across my bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, all joking gone from his voice.

"Just a really shitty day. I had not one but two patients throw up all over me, and then one of the interns dropped a couple of blood vials on the floor and they shattered, then they changed our rosters for next week and I've got the graveyard shift from Monday to Thursday!" I complained.

"Think about this," he said softly. "After you finish your Thursday graveyard shift, you'll have three days off and I'll be arriving with all my stuff on Sunday afternoon."

I smiled and decided to spill my secret. "Actually, I don't have three days off." I managed to keep my voice serious.

"They've changed your days off as well?" He sounded pissed.

"Not exactly…" I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Carlisle told me you're not starting work until the Wednesday and then suggested I take a few days annual leave to help you get unpacked and settled in, so I asked for the week off that you arrive, and I got it!"

The silence from the other end of the phone was deafening.

"Edward?" I hedged.

"I'm here," he replied.

I waited to see what he said next.

"You're taking a week off just for me?" His voice was tender.

"I want to help you get settled, go grocery shopping, set up furniture, all that stuff," I replied.

"I'll call you the second we arrive with the truck on Sunday ok?"

"Mmm hmm. So why were you in such a good mood when you called?" I asked, trying to turn the tone of the conversation around.

"I got a letter in the mail today from the Washington Bar Association…" he said.

I knew because he was so happy that he'd passed. "Oh yeah?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah. I passed." I could see the gleam in his eye from the other end of the phone.

"Yay!" I cheered.

We spent a few minutes talking about what it all meant, then talked some more, about how Emmett and Jasper were flying out on Thursday morning so they could see some of Chicago before helping Edward load the rental truck. They'd planned where they were staying on the way and who was going to drive when. Emmett was the only one licensed to drive the truck so Edward and Jasper were going to take turns in driving the Volvo.

The following and final week was a strange one. Time would fly by and then it would feel like it was going backwards. By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around I was fed up with graveyard shifts and the hospital in general and was looking forward to eight glorious work free days. I got off work on Friday morning and headed home for bed.

After I crawled under the covers, I sent Edward a quick text;

_Can't wait to see you, drive safe! I'm turning my phone off so I can get some sleep. Call me tonight! xB_

I'd spoken briefly to Alice when I got home and she told me that she was going site-hunting with Esme today. They'd found a small shopping centre with two vacant stores that Esme thought would be perfect for setting up Alice's business. I was also informed that since Jasper and Emmett were both now in Chicago and soon to be on their way back that Rosalie would be spending the weekend with us and tonight was going to be a girl's night in.

I turned my phone off, smiling at the thought of Edward being here in two days and at the thought of spending some quality time with Alice and Rosalie, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N:** I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know it's been a long time between updates but here it is!

Next chapter will be the last one – I PROMISE it will be up Wednesday or Thursday next week. It's written, I just need to tidy it up!

Happy reading!

Chapter 40

EPOV

"Eddie!" I heard Emmett's voice boom over the crowd outside the airport. I smiled despite myself as I turned to greet my brother and Jasper.

"Emmie!" I called back. He stopped in his tracks and shot me a death stare before breaking into a grin. "Where are your bags?" I asked as they reached me.

Jasper shrugged and indicated their backpacks. "We figured we wouldn't need much – couple of changes of underwear and socks, clean shirts, done!"

I led them over to where I'd parked the Volvo and they threw their backpacks in the trunk. Emmett commandeered the front passenger seat and immediately turned my stereo to one of the local rock stations, cranking the music up.

"Really?" I asked him.

"Just hope he doesn't start singing," Jasper called from the backseat.

We laughed and joked the rest of the way to my house. I turned the stereo down as we pulled into the drive and parked next to the rental truck.

"That's for me?" Emmett asked with a wide-eyed look on his face.

"Ten-four good buddy," I teased him.

He leapt from the car and ran around the truck.

"This is awesome!" he cheered.

Jasper and I shook our heads and walked over to the front door. As I was unlocking it, Tanya pulled up on the street in her convertible.

"Who's the bimbo?" Emmett whispered.

"The new tenant," I whispered back, plastering a smile on my face as I turned.

"Honey, I'm home," she called as she made her way up the drive.

I groaned under my breath. "Emmett, Jasper, this is Tanya, my former EA – she's moving in once I'm gone. Tanya, my brother Emmett and my sister's boyfriend Jasper." I hurriedly made the introductions and turned back to open the door.

The guys both shook her hand and I saw her batting her eyelashes at Emmett out of the corner of my eye.

"Better ring Rose, hey Emmett?" Jasper asked. "You know how she gets when you travel and don't check in!"

We left Emmett outside and I led Jasper and Tanya into the living room.

"I thought you said you were all packed?" Jasper asked, taking in the rug on the floor and books in the built-in shelves.

"Oh these are mine," Tanya answered him. "Edward has been kind enough to let me move some of my things in early. Which is why I'm here…I have a few things for the bedroom in my car."

"What sort of things?" I asked. "I still need to sleep in there tonight and don't really want to be crowded by your stuff."

"It's just clothes to hang up and a couple of boxes of knick knacks – I won't be in your way. I'll just unpack them and head off so you can get organised," she replied, heading out the door and passing Emmett who was on his way in.

Emmett came in then with a smile on his face. "The girls all say hi." He paused. "Thought you were packed?"

"These are Tanya's," I explained. "I wonder why she's not at work?"

"Hey, what did you mean, she's your former EA? Did you fire her?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. "Former as in she still works at the firm but I don't."

She waltzed back in the door at that moment with an armload of clothes on hangers.

"Can we help you with boxes?" Jasper asked. "You must be on your lunch break?"

I smothered a snicker. Jasper was fast becoming a good friend but he wasn't particularly subtle.

"That would be lovely! They're in the backseat," she said, swinging her hips as she headed for the bedroom.

"Did she not hear you introduce me as your sister's boyfriend?" Jasper asked under his breath as the three of us headed for Tanya's convertible.

There were three boxes in the back so we grabbed one each and carried them into the house. Tanya walked back out and then came back in with another armload of hangers.

"What time should I be here in the morning to collect the keys?" she asked as she came into the living room.

"We're leaving early, can you be here at six thirty?" I suggested.

She nodded. "Is everything being switched off in the morning?"

"The power, gas and phone will all be cut off before 12, and then as I understand it, you've arranged for it to be reconnected in your name in the afternoon?" We'd discussed this at length already – I knew she was just hanging around.

"That sounds about right," she answered.

"I guess we'd better start packing this truck then," I said, hoping she'd take the hint.

"I'll be off then," she said, looking slightly offended. "Nice to meet you both, I'll see you all in the morning."

Once the door was closed, Emmett ran over to the window, causing Jasper and I to exchange a confused glance. We heard her car start and Emmett turned towards us. "What a piece of work!" he exclaimed, imitating her walk around my almost-empty living room.

We all cracked up and soon had tears streaming down our faces as Emmett kept going, mocking her voice next.

Once we had control of ourselves again I led the guys into the garage and hit the automatic door opener. "Let's get packing," I said. "Em, the keys are in the kitchen, next to the fridge. Which reminds me, can you turn it off?"

"Sure thing, Cap'n," he joked, heading back inside. He emerged again a minute later. "Fridge is off," he announced, heading over and unlocking the roller door on the back of the truck.

We spent the next three hours packing, leaving room for the fridge and the folding chairs and table that were in my living room.

"I was thinking we'd head out for dinner since everything's packed, is steak ok with you guys?" I asked.

Emmett's eyes lit up. "Steak? I'm in!"

We all showered quickly and piled into the Volvo again, heading towards the centre of town. I parked about a block from my favourite steakhouse and we walked in the door just after seven.

"Table for three?" the waitress asked, eyeing all three of us. She turned without waiting for an answer and led us to a small booth next to the window.

"Can I get you boys anything to drink?" she asked, letting her gaze linger on Emmett.

"Beer," he replied. "Whatever you have on tap."

She nodded and left the menus on the table.

"What is it with you and women? They fall all over you!" Jasper exclaimed.

"It's the dimples man, it's the dimples," Emmett intoned seriously before flashing Jasper a dimpled grin.

I shook my head and opened my menu, already pretty sure of what I would order. The beer arrived a few minutes later and I was closing my menu when our waitress re-emerged.

"Are you ready to order?" she chirped.

"I'll have the porterhouse, medium, with pepper sauce, baked potato and the house salad," I replied, handing her my menu. Jasper and Emmett quickly ordered and then she was gone.

We chatted about the girls in Seattle while we waited for our meals, wondering what they were doing.

"Rose and Alice were crashing Bella's place tonight," Jasper informed me. "They didn't want her to be alone, counting the minutes until you arrive."

"Speaking of arriving, I have a plan," Emmett joined in, quickly filling me in on his idea.

"Em, it's brilliant!" I declared as our dinner was set down in front of us. Emmett ordered more beer and then we dug in, starving after packing the truck.

Once our dinner was gone and the meals were paid for, we wandered slowly back to the car.

"Are you going to miss Chicago?" Jasper asked, sensing my sombre mood.

"Not really miss it, I've just been here for so long now," I replied. "But I'm really starting to feel that my place is with Bella, and I love Seattle, so I'm looking forward to the move."

"Is my big brother in love?" Emmett teased. He stopped walking abruptly when I nodded.

"Who would've thought it?" I joked with a smile.

"I wasn't meaning to be an ass," he assured me.

"I know. Just after Steph, I didn't think I'd ever love anyone again. And I know you guys saw it too," I said as we started walking again.

We arrived back at the house and sat on the small back deck with another beer for a while before Emmett decided it was time for sleep.

"If what's-her-face is coming at 6:30 we'd better hit the sack," he decided. "I don't really want to face her in all my morning glory."

"Emmett, that's just wrong on so many levels!" I said, rising from my folding chair and carrying it back inside.

Emmett and Jasper headed for the small second bedroom where I'd laid out sleeping bags and camping mats and I headed for a similar makeshift bed in my room.

I crawled into the sleeping bag and sent Bella a quick text;

_Love you honey. Can't wait to hold you in less than two days! Sleep tight. xE_

I drifted off to sleep soon after with thoughts of Bella and our new life in my head.

BPOV

Alice and Rosalie arrived Friday evening with Thai food and wine. "Girls weekend!" Alice declared as she burst through the door.

Rose dumped her stuff in Alice's room and joined us in the living room, where Alice had quickly set a makeshift dining table on the coffee table, complete with candles.

We drank the first bottle of wine with dinner, taking guesses at what the boys were up to. Alice and Rose had reached an agreement with Jasper and Emmett that they would text us throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday to let us know where they were on the road, and we wouldn't call unless it was an emergency so they wouldn't get distracted.

After we ate and cleaned up we all changed into our pyjamas and curled up to watch movies.

"Which one first?" Alice asked. "Miss Congeniality or Pretty Woman?"

We agreed on Miss Congeniality and Alice uncorked a second bottle of wine. Halfway through the movie, Rosalie asked if Alice had the sequel. I groaned loudly.

"Bella doesn't like the sequel," Alice sing-songed as she refilled our glasses.

"Alice, are you planning on us getting rolling drunk tonight?" I asked.

"Sure am!" she replied with a cheesy grin. I smiled in return and went back to watching the movie.

When it finished I got up and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. "There's more wine in the fridge!" Alice yelled out. "Bring it in!"

I found a third bottle and took it into the living room. "Before we start the sequel, I need to pee and get something to eat," Rose announced, climbing off the couch.

Alice put the movie in while I poured more wine, and Rose came in via the kitchen with a packet of chocolate biscuits and a punnet of strawberries.

By the end of the movie, the wine was all gone and we'd finished off the biscuits and strawberries as well.

"We should go to the spa tomorrow," Alice hiccuped.

"I'm going to be too hungover to do anything," Rose moaned.

"We'll go in the afternoon," Alice countered. "I want to get a wax for Jasper."

Rosalie and I both turned to her. "That's an overshare!" I whined.

"What? You don't think Edward would like to arrive to find you all freshly waxed and plucked and manicured?"

A thousand dirty thoughts raced through my mind. "Spa in the afternoon it is," I agreed.

"Bella, are you planning on seducing my brother?" Alice teased.

"I don't need to seduce him, we've been apart for three weeks. Be glad I'll be at his place!" I shot back at her. _Damn wine – keep your mouth shut!_ I chided myself.

The rest of the evening went downhill from there. The wine made the three of us lose our inhibitions and by the time I finally crawled into bed, I knew that Emmett was a fan of manscaping and Jasper got turned on when Alice licked behind his knee.

I was woken by a soft knock on my bedroom door the next morning. "Bella?" Rosalie stuck her head in the door. "Breakfast is here."

I sat up slowly and stretched tentatively before gingerly climbing off the bed and staggering to the door. I made it to the living room and was greeted with the heavenly smell of French vanilla coffee.

"Whoever went for a drive is my favourite," I mumbled, taking the tall take-away cup Alice passed me.

"That would be me," she said quietly. "I don't get hangovers but this morning I wasn't feeling great, so I decided breakfast was in order."

Rosalie shuffled out of the kitchen with knives and forks and Alice produced three of Jacob's all day breakfasts.

After we ate I cleaned up while Alice called the spa and booked the three of us in for three o'clock and Rose took a shower. We all took it slowly for the morning and I made us lunch around one.

We piled into Rose's car at 2:30 and headed for the spa, then spent the next two hours getting waxed, plucked, manicured and massaged. I felt a thousand times better when we walked out.

"Let's go to dinner," Rosalie suggested.

"We're in jeans," Alice pouted.

"So we go to Sizzler," Rose shot back.

"Mmm wedges and steak," Alice hummed. "Deal!"

We parked in the lot at Sizzler and enjoyed a nice night. None of us had any alcohol and we arrived home a little after nine. My phone beeped as I walked into the kitchen and I pulled it out of my pocket to find a message from Jasper;

_Bell, we're not too far away now, should be in Seattle around 10 2morrow. Will call one of you when we've unpacked the truck. J._

I relayed the message to the girls and we all went quiet for a moment.

"Are we pathetic because we miss them so much?" Alice asked in a tiny voice.

"Not at all!" Rose replied. "Besides, you and I have nothing to complain about – Bella and Edward have been apart forever!"

I nodded and reached into the freezer for a fresh tub of Ben & Jerry's. "Chocolate Fudge Brownie?" I offered.

Rosalie clapped her hands and Alice grabbed out three spoons. "Into your jammies ladies!" she ordered.

We all changed quickly and squished onto the couch again with the icecream. "Can we watch Harry Potter?" Rosalie asked around her spoon.

"Which one? I asked.

"The Cedric one," she responded.

Alice squealed and crawled over to the TV unit, pulling the DVD out and sticking it in the player.

Two hours later when the movie and the icecream were finished we all headed off to bed. I sent Edward a quick text as I snuggled under the covers;

_Love you baby. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. xB_

EPOV

We pulled into a dinky roadside diner at 4am and I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check it. My message tone had gone off around midnight but I wanted to keep driving. It felt like we'd been on the road forever.

I smiled as I read Bella's text. _If only she knew,_ I thought.

"From Bella?" Jasper asked, looking over and seeing the smile on my face.

I nodded as I stuck my phone back in my pocket. "Did you want to ride with Emmett for a while and I'll drive?"

We'd stopped just after 2pm the day before at Jasper's aunt's house. He'd organised for us to stay there for a few hours to get some sleep and shower. We left there and headed for Seattle just after 10pm.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's not a bad plot. At least you and I have been able to share the driving!"

We met Emmett at the truck and walked inside for a greasy breakfast. "What time should we hit Seattle?" Emmett asked me.

"We should get there around 11, I figure we can grab a few hours sleep and then let the girls know we're there some time in the afternoon," I answered, taking another sip of the burnt-tasting coffee.

We hit the road again soon after and I slid behind the wheel of the Volvo, following Emmett and Jasper in the truck.

We stopped for a toilet break at 8:30 then hit the home stretch, Jasper staying with Emmett and leaving me to my thoughts.

By the time we arrived at my new apartment in Seattle we were all exhausted. I pulled a sleeping bag, pillow and camping mat out of the Volvo and Jasper handed me the keys to my new place.

"I'm going to crash in my own bed for a few hours, I'll meet you guys at the truck at three?" Emmett suggested as we walked into the lifts.

"Done," we agreed, stepping off on our floor.

"Happy camping!" Jasper teased as he unlocked the door to his apartment.

I walked the rest of the way down the hall and stopped outside what was now my door. I slid the key in the lock and turned, hearing the button pop on the other side. I quickly put the other key in the deadlock and let myself in. I dropped my makeshift bedding on the floor and locked the door behind me.

As I was unrolling the sleeping bag in my new bedroom my phone rang. It was Emmett.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" I teased him.

"Just had a thought – did you want to crash in our spare room for a while so you're in a decent bed?" he offered.

The thought of a decent bed instead of a sleeping bag was too good to pass up so I locked up again and headed for the 12th floor.

"See you at two thirty," Emmett mumbled as he headed for his bedroom after letting me in.

I fell across the bed in his spare room and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

BPOV

"Where are they?" I asked for the millionth time, pacing across the kitchen floor.

"Relax Bella, it's only two o'clock. Jasper said they'd call when they were here. They probably just slept a little late is all," Rosalie reassured me.

"Why don't we help you cook something? That always calms you down!" Alice suggested.

I nodded, thinking it was probably a good way to get my mind off things. "Just let me run a brush through my hair," I replied.

"Ok. We'll meet you downstairs at my car," Rose said.

Five minutes later we were on our way to the supermarket. "So are you going to make Edward a 'welcome to Seattle' dinner?" Alice asked, twisting in her seat to face me.

"Won't you guys all want to eat with us too?" I asked.

Rosalie shook her head and looked at me in the rear-view mirror. "That can wait until during the week. You guys should have his first night here to yourselves."

I couldn't help the silly grin that spread across my face. "You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for!"

"I know, right?" Alice said with a giggle as we pulled into the parking lot.

"So what are we shopping for?" Rose asked as we walked in and I grabbed a basket.

"Minestrone soup and crusty bread," I decided on the spot.

"I'm guessing you're not talking about the stuff out of a can?" Alice teased.

I humphed at her and headed for the fresh vegetables. Once I had all I needed we headed for home.

Just as I was ladling the soup into containers my phone rang. "Finally!" I breathed, racing to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Hi there gorgeous! I'm here!" Edward's voice rang out.

"Yay! When can I come over?" I asked.

"Well, we want to unpack some of the truck so we at least have somewhere to sit, how about you come over in about an hour?" he suggested.

I looked at the clock on the wall. An hour would make it six o'clock. "Six it is!" I agreed. "I'm bringing you dinner."

"You're the best, Make sure you bring clothes for the next few days as well – I'm not planning on letting you go _anywhere_," he told me.

My heat raced at the thought of having days with Edward with no end in sight. "Done. I'll see you soon. I love you!"

"Love you too!" he said as he hung up.

"We're going to leave you to it," Rosalie said as she and Alice rose from the table. "We'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

I hugged them both before they walked out the door. "Thanks for keeping me sane over the last couple of days," I said.

"You're welcome!" Alice replied as they headed for the lifts.

I closed the door and quickly packed a bag for the next few days. I still had half an hour before I needed to leave so I took a quick shower. By the time I dressed and did my hair I had ten minutes left, so I packed the soup, bread and some cutlery and bowls into a picnic basket before heading for my truck.

I parked in one of the visitor spots and pulled my bag and the picnic basket out before locking the door. I walked up to the door and buzzed Edward's apartment.

"Hello?" His voice was tinny.

"It's me," I answered.

"Come on up, me!" The door clicked and I walked in. I rode up the lift to the third floor and walked to the end of the corridor.

I set the basket on the floor beside me and knocked, holding my breath. The door swung open while my arm was still raised and Edward gathered me up in a bone-crushing hug.

"I can't believe I'm finally here," he whispered, not letting me go.

"I can't either," I replied, "but you're kinda squishing me!"

He chuckled as he loosened his grasp on me slightly. 'Better?"

I looked up at him and smiled. "Much."

He softly pressed his lips to mine and pulled away all too soon. I pouted at him and stretched up to kiss him again.

"Not in the hallway honey. Once I start I'm not going to be able to stop," he murmured, kissing me softly once more before letting me go and picking up the picnic basket.

I followed him inside and stopped dead as I stepped to the left of the door so he could close it.

The entire living room was set up. The couch, the rug, his armchair, coffee table…it was all there. A few boxes were against the wall but the room was in order. The corner of the room held his piano and I couldn't wait to hear him play.

"It's set up," I whispered.

He put the picnic basket down again and removed my bag from my hand. "It's _all_ set up – the whole place. I wanted to spend my first night with you in comfort, not moving furniture and setting up stuff," he replied, wrapping his arms around me.

"What time did you get here?" I questioned, pulling back to look at him.

"Not important," he mumbled, leaning in for a kiss. "The bedroom is set up too…"


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

BPOV

Our lips barely separated as he walked me backwards through the apartment to his bedroom. Once inside, he kicked the door closed and continued moving me towards the bed. He lay me slowly back against the mattress and only then did we part.

I shifted backwards up the bed until my head was resting on the pillows and watched with a smile as he pulled off his t-shirt and jeans, leaving him standing in nothing but his grey cotton boxer briefs.

"I've been dreaming about this moment for three weeks," Edward whispered, crawling slowly up the bed until his body was pressed firmly on top of mine.

"Me too," I whispered back, threading my fingers in his hair and pulling his face down to mine.

He undressed me slowly, kissing and exploring every inch of my body like it was our first time together all over again. I finally got a chance to slide his boxers off and moaned loudly when our now-naked bodies made contact.

"I love you," he murmured against my shoulder as he dropped feather-light kisses towards my lips.

"Love you too," I responded before his mouth claimed mine once more.

We made love slowly and gently. I came with a soft sigh as Edward dropped his head to my shoulder and his whole body shook. We lay, still connected while we both came down from the incredible high we had just shared. Eventually he rolled off me, pulling me in close to his side. We lay there in silence and I thought he had gone to sleep when he spoke.

"Want to see the bathroom?"

I smiled against his chest. "That depends on what visiting the bathroom will entail."

"A bath?" I tilted my head back to look up at him. "Bella, I don't want to lose the feeling we have right now. I'm all for more sex in the morning, but right now I'd love to take a bath with you and then lay here, holding you all night, knowing that we never have to be a plane ride apart again."

Holding back tears, I scooted up his body and kissed him softly. "In that case, I'd love to see the bathroom."

He slid out from under me and stood next to the bed, stretching. I couldn't help my eyes from roaming over his body – broad shoulders, toned arms, hard abs…my gaze drifted downwards and I heard him snicker.

"See something you like?"

I poked my tongue out and climbed out of the bed so it was between us and stretched as well. Edward's eyes travelled a similar path over my body as mine had over his. I cocked an eyebrow and cleared my throat, but my hard-ass stance was blown away when he shot me that gorgeous grin.

"I believe you were about to show me the bathroom?" I said, trying to get the control back.

"This way, ma'am," he said with a mock bow, pointing towards the door.

I giggled and walked out with him close behind.

"To your right, if you please," he said in a bad British accent.

I opened the door and stepped into the bathroom, which wasn't too different to either Jasper's or Emmett and Rosalie's. Edward squeezed my waist as he moved past me and put the plug in the bath before turning on the water. As the room filled with steam he moved back over to me and took me in his arms.

"How does a hot bath, dinner and bed sound?"

Sighing, I melted against him. "It sounds brilliant."

Edward stepped into the bath a few minutes later and I carefully situated myself between his legs, resting against his chest. We sat there together until the water started to cool and I reached over and pulled the plug from between his feet. As I stood, Edward steadied me with his hand under my elbow.

"Which towel should I use?" I asked, indicating the two blue and navy striped towels hanging on the rail.

"Either is fine, they're both clean," he said, smiling up at me.

I reached over and grabbed a towel, drying myself quickly and stepping onto the mat. I picked up the other towel and handed it to Edward as he stood up. I waited until he was dry and we headed back towards the bedroom. I made a quick detour back through the living room for my bag. By the time I got back to the bedroom, Edward was pulling on an old pair of grey sweats and white long-sleeved t-shirt. I pulled my long cotton pyjamas out of my bag and pulled them on.

"So what's for dinner?" Edward asked.

"I made minestrone soup and bought some crusty bread, I hope that's ok," I replied, suddenly feeling shy.

"It sounds perfect," he said with a smile, taking my hand and leading me to the kitchen, pausing to collect my picnic basket from next to his front door.

He set it down on the bench and I quickly pulled out the still-warm soup and the loaf of bread and was unpacking the bowls and cutlery when he covered my hands with his.

"I have bowls and stuff here, you know," he chuckled.

I dropped my head. "I didn't think you'd be unpacked or anything."

Next thing, Edward's strong fingers were forcing my chin up so I had to look at him, and his other arm was curled around my waist. "Hey," he said softly, "I love that you thought of that stuff. And I know you didn't think I'd be unpacked – I wanted to surprise you!"

I smiled despite myself. "And I'm surprised," I said, standing on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "Now, where will I find a saucepan, a bread knife and a bread board?"

Dinner was ready less than ten minutes later and we sat at the kitchen bench to eat. Edward filled me in on how unpacking to surprise me had actually been Emmett's idea – he and Jasper had just fed in to the original plan.

As I mopped up the last of my soup with a piece of bread, Edward raised the idea of a dinner party the following evening.

"We could invite Emmett and Rose, and Alice and Jasper? Esme is away for a few days, Carlisle was telling me at work the other day…" I trailed off.

"What?" Edward asked.

"I just realised how comfortable I am calling your parents by their first names is all," I replied.

"And I love it," he said back, taking my bowl and his own over to the sink. "Domestic time?"

We planned a menu for the next night while he washed and I dried, then he called Emmett and I called Alice to invite them all to come. Both calls went directly to voice mail. "Don't wanna know," he said.

"Does that offer of curling up in bed still stand?" I asked.

"Yep, but there's something I want to do first. Come with me," he said, taking my hand.

He led me over to the piano and sat at the bench, lifting the lid covering the keys. "Sit with me?" he offered.

I perched on the end of the bench and waited. Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek softly. "I've been aching to play this with you here," he said quietly, sitting up straight and placing his hands over the keys.

My song flowed from his fingertips as they drifted across the keys. He was amazing. Seeing Edward play made me fall in love with him even more. When he finished I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. "Thank you," I said in a barely-there whisper.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. "Let's go to bed."

We shared the bathroom while we cleaned our teeth then headed back to his bedroom. We snuggled in under the covers and I was drifting off when Edward cupped my cheek in his hand and tipped my face up so he could look at me.

"Bella?" he murmured, "Once I'm settled, if you wanted to, would you…would you move in with me?"

I could tell he was nervous and tried to calm his nerves with a smile. "When you're ready, I'd love nothing more than to move in with you, but I'll also have to discuss it with Alice."

"That's a non-issue," he smiled back, "Jasper and I talked about it on the trip back and he wants to look for a place for the two of them."

"I guess it's all settled then," I said happily, snuggling against his chest again.

We were woken the following morning by Edward's message tone going off.

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling away from him and burying my head in the pillow.

I felt Edward shift behind me and his arm wrapped around me. "If it was important, they'd call," he mumbled, pressing his face into my hair.

Soon after his phone rang. "You'd better get that," I said sleepily.

"They'll call back," he grunted.

They did. Almost straight away. "It's Alice, I'll bet you anything," I said, more awake now.

Edward rolled away from me and I heard him pick it up. "Morning Alice," he grumbled. "Yes…no, you woke us up…yes…no…no…that would be great…see you then…bye."

His arm was back around me almost straight away. "That was Alice. She's offered to bring a couple of bottles of champagne tonight to toast the new apartment."

I rolled over and kissed his chin. "Sweet. We should probably get up and get moving soon too – I have dinner to get ready, remember?"

"Mmm hmm…feel like christening the bathroom?" he asked, his voice low.

I quivered at the thought and disentangled myself from his arms. I climbed out of the bed and quickly stripped off my pyjamas. "I'll be waiting!" I said, running naked from his room to the bathroom.

I'd just stepped under the hot water when Edward stepped in behind me, pulling my body flush against his. "I only have a small hot water system…" he hinted, turning me to face him.

The water had long gone cold by the time we got out so we quickly dried off and got dressed. I braided my hair while Edward made fruit smoothies for breakfast. "Rosalie bought me some groceries," he explained as we drank.

We left the apartment half an hour later in Edward's Volvo and headed first to the grocery store and then to the fresh food markets. We'd decided that I'd do a few different canapés for entrees, then a whole fish stuffed with lemon and herbs under the griller for the main, with fresh vegetables and baked potatoes on the side. Alice was taking care of the wine, and Edward called Emmett to see if he could arrange a dessert, which he was more than happy to do. We bought some pantry fillers for Edward as well, things like rice and pasta, sauces, meat for his freezer and few other bits and pieces.

I made light salads for the two of us for lunch which we ate on the couch, watching _Bones_. "I really like this show, but I don't know that it goes too well with lunch," Edward commented as a decomposed body was pulled out of a pylon on the screen.

"It's not really a big deal to me, funnily enough," I teased. That opened up a whole discussion about some of the most grotesque things I'd encountered as a doctor. By the end, Edward was looking rather green.

We spent a couple of hours unpacking his books and photo albums. "I really need to buy a couple more bookshelves," he commented once we'd stuffed the shelves in the second bedroom with books.

I started preparing dinner a little after 5 and took ten minutes once the canapés were done to change and apply a little makeup.

Jasper and Alice arrived at six on the dot and Edward gave Alice a quick tour while Jasper helped me set the table. Emmett and Rosalie arrived soon after and Edward showed Rose around while Emmett and Jasper took over the couch and Alice joined me in the kitchen.

Once everyone had the tour, I took the canapés out to the living area and then headed back to finish the fish and vegetables. Just as Edward carried the empty platter back into the kitchen the timer went off and I carefully removed the fish. I peeled back the foil and the steam coming out was heavenly. I carried the fish whole to the dining table and set it in the middle, then carried out six plates of vegetables.

Emmett, Edward and Jasper kept us girls entertained throughout the meal with stories of their trip from Chicago to Seattle, ending with Emmett re-telling his grand plan to surprise me. Once everyone was finished I stood to clear the plates.

"Uh uh," Edward chided me gently. "You cooked, therefore I clean up. We'll use the dishwasher tonight."

"We'll help," Emmett and Jasper said, rising in unison.

Alice, Rosalie and I sat and chatted while the boys tidied up the kitchen. They re-emerged fifteen minutes later with bowls, spoons, icecream and the most mouth-watering looking chocolate mud cake that I'd ever seen.

The six of us quite happily ate our way through the whole thing and the boys once again cleaned up when we were finished. "Would you ladies like to join us for some champagne?" Emmett asked, holding up a bottle and three glasses. Edward appeared next to him with another three glasses and we stood and walked over to them.

Jasper came out of the kitchen then, taking the glasses from Emmett so he could open the bottle. Six glasses were quickly poured, Edward handing one to me and one to Rosalie, and Jasper handing one to Emmett and finally one to Alice.

"A toast," Edward said, raising his glass. "To family, friends, and love."

I fully expected Emmett and Jasper to roll their eyes but they echoed Edward's sentiments along with us girls.

"Ew! There's something in my glass!" Alice squealed. She plunged her fingers into her champagne flute and as she was pulling them back out with the offending object Jasper handed his glass to Emmett and dropped to one knee.

Alice registered Jasper's position as she extracted the ring from her glass. "Alice, will you marry me?" he asked.

I could see Alice was about to drop her champagne so I quickly took it from her hand as I watched her eyes fill with tears. She nodded once and Jasper leapt to his feet, taking the ring from her fingers and sliding it gently onto her left hand.

"To Alice and Jasper!" Emmett boomed, startling us all slightly.

"To Alice and Jasper," Edward, Rosalie and I repeated, clinking glasses. Emmett and I handed Jasper and Alice back their glasses and we all toasted again.

Once we all hugged Alice and Jasper we gave then some privacy to call their parents by moving into the kitchen.

"That was amazing!" Rosalie enthused.

"We planned it all while we were in Chicago," Emmett filled us in. "The ring was Jasper's grandmother's, he's been carrying it around for months, so Edward and I convinced him that the time was right, what with Alice's business taking off and all."

"Our only concern was that Alice would spot the ring in the glass _before_ she took a sip," Edward continued. "Thankfully Jasper managed to drop it in as Emmett opened the bottle to cover the sound it made, and handed her the glass with his fingers around the bottom."

Rosalie and I listened to the rest of the story and Emmett had just finished when Alice called, "You guys can come back in now!"

The four of us moved back in to the living room where they were both grinning like idiots. Rosalie and I immediately went to look at the ring and it was spectacular.

"I have one more toast to propose," Jasper called over our noise. We all quieted down and he pulled Alice close to his side. Edward moved over and wrapped his arm around me and Emmett and Rosalie were already joined at the hip as usual. "To Edward and Bella," he continued. "Edward, since you came into Bella's life she's been happier than I've ever seen her, and I can't thank you enough for that. She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and to see her with someone who makes her as happy as Alice makes me? Well, I can't describe it."

"And Bella," Alice continued, "you and I have been friends for a long time now as well. I know Edward was a jerk when you first met him but I'm glad that both of you got past it. I knew that the two of you would be good together and I'm so, so happy that you finally got there."

"To Bella and Edward!" Emmett cut in.

"Not quite," Jasper said as our laughter at Emmett's antics died down. "To the _beginning_ of Bella and Edward."

My eyes met with Edward's as our friends toasted us and I knew with utmost certainty that tonight was just that…the beginning.

______________________________________________________________

**A/N:** Wow. I'm a little emotional! Even though the last chapter has been written for a while, the ending changed and I'm even happier with the end than I was in the beginning!

This is where I bore you all!

To everyone who has this story on alert, or who has added it to their favourites, or who has recommended it to their friends…thank you! I never thought many people would read it and to have so many people reading is amazing!

To everyone who has reviewed, be it every chapter or just every now and then…thank you! To have over 300 reviews when the story wasn't even finished is overwhelming! (I know that's nothing compared to some stories but it means a lot to me!) And I apologise once more that I suck at responding to reviews! Please know that I read each and every one of them and they really do lift me up!

And to Yankee Snoopy, Edward is my Planet, AzraTain and Ronnie (who finally signed up to get away from my incessant nagging!)…thank you. You girls have kept me sane (or insane) and bugged me when it's been a while between chapters. You've all proof-read different parts for me and hopefully each of you has picked up a few hidden bits and pieces in the story.

Next up for me will be "Jasper's Story" so please keep an eye out for it! The first chapter is written but won't go up for a couple of weeks – I really want to make sure my story line is set in stone before I start publishing. Bella and Edward was meant to be 30 chapters and we all know how well that worked out! And never fear, there will be a sequel as promised…when Jasper's is over and done!

Thanks again to all, and happy reading!


	42. Twilight All Human Fanfiction Awards

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!**

I really don't like it when people "update" their stories, only to find that it's not actually a chapter. So I'm sorry…again.

"The Beginning of Bella and Edward" has been nominated for an award in the Twilight All Human Fanfiction Awards! ((dot)webs(dot)com/). Please head on over and vote…and don't forget to nominate your other favourite all-human stories while you're there!


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